EDITORIAL: Monetary policy vigilance needed
Nonetheless, Powell’s remarks suggested that he might want to give himself leeway to digest further data before normalizing the Fed’s monetary policy. At the same time, investors did not have to worry about an abrupt change in the Fed’s policy potentially stirring near-term volatility in the financial markets. The Bank of Korea on Thursday became the first Asian central bank to tighten its monetary policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it raised its repo rate by 25 basis points to 0.75 percent. Other Asian central banks might not follow Seoul’s example in the near term, as financial imbalance concerns were the main reason behind the South Korean central bank’s move. Apart from a mild and benign inflationary pressure, the central bank’s steady-handed policy is also supported by the uneven growth in Taiwan’s export-oriented and domestic demand-reliant sectors, Yang said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 16:02 UTC
Yilan City artist’s watercolor exhibit inspires reflection
Yilan City artist’s watercolor exhibit inspires reflectionBy Tsai Yun-rung and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerYilan City’s LANtern SPACE has opened an exhibition of local artist Lien Chih-feng’s watercolor paintings, the venue said on Saturday. Lien, the principal of Yilan Junior High School, said that he began painting 12 years ago and is entirely self-taught. He first started doodling when be became bored at school meetings, and drawing became a form of daily meditation, Lien said, adding that, over the years, he has produced about 1,000 creations, including watercolor paintings, sketches and prints. Yilan Junior High School principal and artist Lien Chih-feng poses with his paintings at LANtern SPACE in Yilan County on Saturday. Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei TimesSome of his works were printed on postcards and red envelopes that he gave to friends as gifts, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
New Asian American bakeries find bicultural sweet spot
New Asian American bakeries find bicultural sweet spotAP, OAKLAND, CaliforniaFor some Asian Americans, the dim sum cookie at Sunday Bakeshop here will taste like childhood. Shyu recalls some awkward situations, such as one in May when Third Culture was featured on a Denver TV station as part of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. “It’s so unfortunate that it’s happening, and still happening, because people say they love Asian food and Asian American food,” Nguyen said. It’s sort of the artistic side of Asian American identity that’s often ignored,” Ku said. ”They’re instead really trying to fuse things together — create this mixture.”These first- and second-generation Asian American bakery owners seem passionate about bringing visibility to the Asian American community, which often feels invisible, Ku added.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
New York Mets retire Koosman’s No. 36
New York Mets retire Koosman’s No. 36AP, NEW YORKWith Jerry Koosman on the mound, it was never too late for the 1969 New York Mets, and more than five decades later, the franchise rewarded the big-game left-hander with its highest distinction. Koosman on Saturday became the fifth player or coach to have his jersey retired by the Mets, with his No. “I know I’m joining a great crew that’s already had their numbers retired.”Former New York Mets pitcher Jerry Koosman, left, and former Mets catcher Mike Piazza talk during a ceremony at Citi Field in New York City on Saturday. Koosman pitched 12 seasons for the New York Mets.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: Ministry considers extending subsidies for convention firms
COVID-19: Ministry considers extending subsidies for convention firmsBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Economic Affairs is considering extending wage subsidies for convention and exhibition businesses for another quarter, as a COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year weighed heavily on the sector, the Central News Agency reported yesterday. The ministry allocated NT$220 million (NT$7.88 million) in wage subsidies for the convention and exhibition industry in the second quarter, as it was heavily affected by a resurgence of local COVID-19 infections starting in the middle of May. People gather at Computex Taipei at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei on May 28, 2019. As a result, the ministry is considering continuing wage subsidies this quarter as a show of support, the bureau said, without elaborating on a timeline for applications or the amount of its relief budget. About 700 firms in the convention and exhibition industry applied for wage subsidies last quarter, the bureau said, adding that it had used up the NT$220 million relief budget.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
Southbound Policy options discussed
Southbound Policy options discussedFRIDAY FORUM: Five years of the New Southbound Policy have seen benefits, although new ideas could improve its value in several areas, participants saidBy Lu Yi-hsuan, Lin Ching-hua and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerA forum in Taipei on Friday discussed the future of the nation’s New Southbound Policy in a post-COVID-19 world. The policy, introduced in 2016, aims to boost interactions between Taiwan, ASEAN and South Asian nations in human resources, industry, investment, education, culture, tourism and agriculture. “It is of utmost importance that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy find ways to connect with this trend,” Tien said. Such fields correspond with the government’s New Southbound Policy, he added. Non-governmental organizations such as the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation can play a role in the policy’s influence, as foundations have a wider reach than the government, Deng said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: Colleges can ask for virus tests from new students
COVID-19: Colleges can ask for virus tests from new studentsBy Rachel Lin / Staff reporterColleges can ask new students to be tested for COVID-19 before they move into their dorms next month, according to government guidelines obtained exclusively by the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper). The Ministry of Education’s guidelines on the prevention and management of COVID-19 on college campuses are expected to be released in the next few days. To protect the health and safety of faculty members and students, schools may include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests or rapid screening for COVID-19 in their health exams for new students, in accordance with the School Health Act (學校衛生法), the guidelines say. COVID-19 testing stations are set up on the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University campus on Wednesday last week to offer free testing for university staff and students. Photo courtesy of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityHowever, those tests cannot be used as a requirement for students to be admitted, they say.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
Ministry punishes execs at Taipower over outages
Ministry punishes execs at Taipower over outagesStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Economic Affairs punished 25 executives at state-run utility Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) over power outages and emergency shutdowns earlier this year, it said on Friday. The executives, including Taipower chairman Yang Wei-fu (楊偉甫) and president Chung Bin-li (鍾炳利), were given punishments ranging from warnings to major demerits for the outages on May 13, May 17 and July 27, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said. From left, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Tseng Wen-sheng, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua and State-Owned Enterprise Commission chief executive Liu Ming-chung attend a news conference in Taipei on Friday last week. On May 17, Taipower implemented another nationwide rolling blackout to deal with a sudden surge in demand for electricity exceeded supply, resulting in “execution” problems, Wang said. The string of incidents, especially the back-to-back outages in May, triggered widespread concern, exacerbated by top government officials’ pledges prior to the mishaps that Taiwan had sufficient power.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
Blood supply up, but donations needed
Blood supply up, but donations neededCOVID-19 DISRUPTION: While more people have begun donating again, hospitals have resumed previously suspended procedures, so demand for blood is likely to riseBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterAlthough the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation yesterday said the nation’s blood supply is gradually increasing, as the local COVID-19 situation has improved, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) encouraged people to donate blood, as surgeries that had been postponed are also resuming. The blood bank in Taipei now has an average of about 7.7 days of blood supply available: 6.4 days of type A blood, 8.8 days of type B, 8.3 days of type O and 5.4 days of type AB, Li said. He said the Taiwan Blood Service Foundation has been doing a great job in maintaining the quality and steady supply of blood in Taiwan. While fewer people were willing to donate blood after the middle of May, the blood supply has recently increased, he said. He encouraged people to continue donating blood, saying that people can make a reservation online on the foundation’s Web site.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
Notes from Central Taiwan: China’s policy of ‘being provoked’
Simultaneously, the Asia Times reported that Washington had pressured Taiwan to cease development of a locally-based launch capability using rockets developed in Taiwan. Photo: APOfficial Washington: Taiwan! Later, after the international media storm, Zhongnanhai made great noise, summoning the US ambassador. One key aspect of the “being provoked” discourse is that it assigns reasons for China’s actions to things that Taiwan or the US does. Buying into the “being provoked” narrative makes it more difficult for the international media to present China as the aggressor state.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: CECC reports 13 local cases, one death
COVID-19: CECC reports 13 local cases, one deathSAME HOUSEHOLD: Ten of the new cases are from a family cluster in New Taipei City, while four of 10 imported cases had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19By Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 13 locally transmitted infections, 10 imported COVID-19 cases and one death. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), attends the daily CECC news conference in Taipei yesterday. Twenty-one close contacts of the pilot have tested negative, while two are awaiting test results and five are to be tested, Chen said. Meanwhile, a shipment of 30,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by the Czech Republic arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon. In related news, more than 1.97 million people had added the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to their preferred vaccine brands three hours after registration opened on the national online COVID-19 vaccination system at 2pm on Saturday.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
Dragons fly as China’s young take shine to gold
I often wear [traditional] Han-style clothing, which is why I choose heritage gold, to match my overall look,” Gao said. In anticipation of longer-term demand, gold jewelry manufacturers are stepping up investment in heritage gold. “Heritage gold sales were amazing this Lunar New Year holiday, surpassing that of conventional gold jewelry,” he said. Its share of China’s gold jewelry market is forecast to jump from less than 2 percent in 2017 to nearly one-quarter by 2024. “Gold jewelry enterprises are rapidly recognizing the importance of cultural value and are digging deep into it,” the consultancy said in a report on heritage gold in January.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
Afghans tearful on Tokyo arrival
Afghans tearful on Tokyo arrivalREMARKABLE: International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence said that the duo went to Tokyo to fulfil their dreams, to send out a message of hopeAFP, TOKYOAfghanistan’s two athletes made an “extremely emotional” arrival at the Tokyo Paralympic Village, Games officials said yesterday, after a top-secret flight from Paris following their evacuation from Kabul. Khudadadi and Rasouli were welcomed to the athletes’ village on Saturday night by IPC president Andrew Parsons and IPC Athletes’ Council chairperson Chelsey Gotell, as well as the Afghanistan team chef de mission Arian Sadiqi. Sprinter Rasouli was scheduled to compete in the men’s T47 100m, but arrived too late for Saturday’s heats. Their arrival comes after Afghanistan’s swift fall to the Taliban earlier this month left them among the tens of thousands trapped and unable to leave the country. The Taliban have promised a softer brand of rule than their first stint in power, but many Afghans fear a repeat of their brutal interpretation of Shariah law.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
Tuchel hails draw despite red card
Tuchel hails draw despite red cardReuters, LIVERPOOL, EnglandChelsea manager Thomas Tuchel praised his 10-man team for their second-half rearguard action in securing a 1-1 draw at Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. “Fantastic, I saw a strong first half — a strong Liverpool side. We were very, very good — scored the first goal, had a big chance for the second goal with Mason Mount,” Tuchel said. This is what we did and then in the last second [before halftime], we concede a penalty and a red card,” he said. I was worried the referee looked at one photo and decided it was a red card,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: Murray urges players to get vaccinated
COVID-19: Murray urges players to get vaccinatedReutersReceiving the COVID-19 vaccine is about looking out for the health of the “wider public,” Andy Murray said in an interview before the start of the US Open in New York today, adding that he hoped tennis players who were reluctant to get vaccinated would come around to seeing its many upsides. “The reason why all of us are getting vaccinated is to look out for the wider public,” Murray told reporters on Saturday. I’m hoping that more players choose to have it in the coming months.”The COVID-19 vaccine has divided opinion within tennis. Murray said that players might be persuaded when they see the freedom that vaccinated players have compared with unvaccinated competitors at tournaments such as January’s Australian Open. League-wide vaccination of players is subject to negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association.
Source:Taipei Times
August 29, 2021 15:56 UTC