Nation lives forward, not in the KMT’s past
By Michael DanielsenA combination of the good old days and modern populism can be a superb cocktail for winning an election. The problem for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) populist presidential candidate, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), is that there are no good old days. A look at the KMT’s recent past exposes its political and economic failures. It would also be a challenge for the international community to separate Chinese attempts to promote Taiwan as Chinese from the KMT’s own policies. Taiwan shall live forward and understand itself looking backward — not like the KMT, which prefers to live in the past.
Source:Taipei Times
December 06, 2019 15:56 UTC
China’s response to spy is telling
Second, from 2013 to last year, he was involved in many civil lawsuits, most of which were contract disputes. When the Wang espionage case broke in Australia, China took the lead in smearing the 26-year-old, calling him a fraudster with the full force of the communists, and with some help from Taiwan’s pan-blue camp, to discredit his allegations. Beijing even released trial footage allegedly showing Wang confessing to fraud — only to be met with disbelief in Australia. Yet, China’s reaction to a certain degree validates the success of the joint efforts of Five Eyes and Taiwan. Yu Kung is a Taiwanese businessman operating in China.
Source:Taipei Times
December 06, 2019 15:56 UTC
China to waive tariffs for some US soy and pork
BloombergChina yesterday was in the process of waiving retaliatory tariffs on imports of US pork and soy by domestic companies, a procedural step that might also signal that a broader trade agreement with the US is drawing closer. The ministry is working to waive the tariffs resulting from the trade dispute on those goods, it said in a statement. China began issuing waivers on US soybeans, cotton, corn, sorghum and pork as the Asian nation sought to press forward on a trade deal. Still, unless new quotas for waivers are issued, US exporters might not see a huge inflow into China. Buyers have used up almost all of their waivers to purchase US soybeans, people familiar with the matter told reporters earlier this week.
Source:Taipei Times
December 06, 2019 15:56 UTC
Pelosi pulls impeachment trigger
AFP, WASHINGTONUS House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday gave the green light to draft articles of impeachment against US President Donald Trump, as the embattled president vowed he would “win” the coming fight. By asking the US House Judiciary Committee chairman to draw up the charges, Democrat Pelosi signaled that a formal vote on impeaching the 45th president was all but assured. “Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders and a heart full of love for America, today I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment,” Pelosi said in a televised statement. Trump “has engaged in abuse of power, undermined our national security and jeopardized the integrity of our elections,” she said. “No bribery, no extortion, no obstruction of justice and no abuse of power,” McCarthy told reporters.
Source:Taipei Times
December 06, 2019 15:56 UTC
Uber report reveals thousands of sexual assaults in the US
AFP, SAN FRANCISCORide-sharing company Uber Technologies Inc, under fire around the world for its safety record, on Thursday said that it had tallied nearly 6,000 sexual assaults in the US over the past couple of years. Sexual assaults were reported on 0.00002 percent of trips, Uber said. “While these reports are rare, every report represents an individual who came forward to share an intensely painful experience,” it said. “Even one report is one too many.”Uber said that the figures also showed its drivers were attacked at about the same rate as passengers reporting sexual assault. The US report classified 5,981 sexual assaults ranging from “non-consensual sexual penetration” to unwanted kissing or touching.
Source:Taipei Times
December 06, 2019 15:56 UTC
Wisdom upbeat over 2020, expects volatility to ease
By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterWisdom Marine Lines Co (慧洋海運), the nation’s largest dry bulk shipping company by fleet size, yesterday said it is upbeat about next year, as it expects market volatility to ease this quarter and demand to improve as rules imposing higher standards on sulfur from ship exhausts take effect. Unexpected market volatility came from China’s ban on coal for heating this winter, Indonesia announcing a ban on nickel exports from Jan. 1, and the US and China’s delayed negotiation on wheat purchases due to a canceled APEC meeting in Chile last month, the firm told an investors’ conference in Taipei. “They all had a negative outlook for the dry bulk shipping industry this quarter, with spot shipping rates declining on market expectations of lower freight volumes for the three commodities,” Wisdom said, adding that the fourth quarter should have been a peak season. Wisdom plans to take delivery of seven new vessels next year, two of which would be equipped with scrubbers to meet clients’ needs, it said. Net profit rose 56 percent annually to NT$1.75 billion (US$57.4 million) for the first three quarters, or earnings per share of NT$2.76, company data showed.
Source:Taipei Times
December 06, 2019 15:56 UTC
Bucks rout Pistons, extend streak to 13
AP, DETROIT, MichiganGiannis Antetokounmpo was ready to go toe to toe with Blake Griffin during a second-quarter flare-up between division rivals Milwaukee and Detroit. “They’re just a great defensive team and just play really physical,” Antetokounmpo said. The Bucks also beat Detroit last month in their first meeting of this season. The first involved Antetokounmpo and Griffin after they collided around midcourt in the second quarter. In a competitive game, it’s going to happen,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 05, 2019 15:56 UTC
Ennis leads Senators to 5-2 victory over sloppy Oilers
AP, EDMONTON, AlbertaThe Ottawa Senators did not have to wait long to make up for a tough loss one night earlier. Tyler Ennis on Wednesday night had a goal and two assists as the Senators beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Mikko Koskinen gave up three goals on 12 shots before leaving in the second period. The Senators surged into the lead with two goals 12 seconds apart early in the second period. Ottawa tied it shortly after a power play expired when Anisimov tucked a shot past Koskinen at 5 minutes, 15 seconds.
Source:Taipei Times
December 05, 2019 15:56 UTC
United hand Mourinho first Spurs defeat
AFP, LONDONJose Mourinho on Wednesday endured an unhappy return to Manchester United as Marcus Rashford struck twice in a 2-1 defeat for Tottenham Hotspur, while Liverpool maintained their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League, putting five goals past Everton. Mourinho’s first loss since taking charge of Spurs eases the pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as United moved above Tottenham, up to sixth in the table. Yet, for all United’s dominance in the first half, one moment of brilliance from Dele Alli pulled Spurs level before the break. He plucked the ball out of the air and skipped beyond two United defenders with one touch before slotting home his fourth goal in as many games since Mourinho took charge. The scoring did not stop there as Richarlison cut the deficit once more, but Georginio Wijnaldum hammered the final nail in the Everton coffin as an eighth defeat in 11 league games sees the Toffees slip into the bottom three.
Source:Taipei Times
December 05, 2019 15:56 UTC
Musk says ‘pedo guy’ tweet was in reaction to an insult
AP, LOS ANGELESTelsa chief executive Elon Musk has owned up to insulting a British spelunker in a rash tweet, but would not concede on the witness stand that he called the man a pedophile. Musk said the insult meant only “creepy old man” and did not literally mean he was calling Unsworth a pedophile. Despite working around the clock to build the sub in short order, Musk arrived in Thailand late in the rescue effort and the craft was never used. Musk, who was dressed in a charcoal gray suit and white shirt, remained composed on the witness stand during questioning from Unsworth’s lawyer, who called him as his first witness. Musk received no compensation for his efforts, although he acknowledged his work could have been interpreted as a “narcissistic” publicity effort.
Source:Taipei Times
December 04, 2019 16:07 UTC
Brands fail to curb Thai slavery: study
Thomson Reuters Foundation, BANGKOKEfforts to protect Thai seafood workers from labor exploitation and modern slavery risk has stalled as most international brands and retailers refuse to pay their suppliers more to comply with new anti-slavery policies, researchers said yesterday. Thai seafood suppliers are struggling with rising production costs as they seek to improve labor conditions and meet new anti-slavery laws and regulations, with little or no financial help from big buyers, a study found. “The costs of protecting workers from exploitation and forced labor should be distributed equitably across the value chain,” she added. “Thai suppliers note haphazard financial support for social auditing but none for improving working conditions, and report no increase in price,” the researchers said in the report. Workers in the Thai seafood industry might end up suffering additional labor rights abuses, despite greater attention on the issue, if buyers do not pay higher prices, the report said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 04, 2019 16:07 UTC
Famed Japanese doctor slain in Afghanistan
AFP, KABULA Japanese doctor whose long career was dedicated to helping some of Afghanistan’s poorest people was among six people killed yesterday in an attack in the east of the country, officials said. The armed assault in Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar Province, prompted appalled reactions in Afghanistan and internationally. A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called Nakamura “one of the closest friends of Afghanistan.”Nakamura in 2003 was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award — often called Asia’s Nobel Prize. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan expressed “revulsion” at Nakamura’s killing. It was “a senseless act of violence against a man who dedicated much of his life to helping” Afghanistan’s most vulnerable, the mission said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 04, 2019 16:07 UTC
Four artists share Turner Prize in a show of solidarity
AFP, LONDONThis year’s prestigious Turner Prize is to be shared by all four shortlisted artists after they formed a collective to show solidarity at a time of global “political crisis,” in a shock win announced on Tuesday evening. Oscar Murillo, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Helen Cammock and Tai Shani were all named winners at a ceremony at the Turner Contemporary gallery in the seaside town of Margate, in southeast England. Turner Contemporary director Victoria Pomery has described their work as “fantastic exhibitions.”Murillo had been the favorite to win. “We have very strong individual voices, but somehow the prize needed to be concluded in this way,” he said after the announcement. Part of his submission for the coveted prize involved recreating the acoustic memories of former inmates of a Syrian prison.
Source:Taipei Times
December 04, 2019 16:07 UTC
Cha In-ha dead in latest K-pop shock
Cha, 27, was found dead on Tuesday, police said, adding that the cause of the death was not immediately known. The singer-actor posted on Instagram the day before he was found dead, telling his fans to take care in the cold winter. Cha’s death comes after K-pop singer Koo Hara, 28, was found dead in her home last month. Her death followed the apparent suicide of a fellow K-pop idol star, Sulli, a former member of girl group f(x), in October. Last week, two male former K-pop band members were convicted of sexual assaults and sentenced to prison terms.
Source:Taipei Times
December 04, 2019 16:07 UTC
Australia restricts medical evacuations of refugees
Under Australia’s immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted at sea are sent to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Independent lawmakers and the opposition joined forces in February to give doctors the right to order sick asylum seekers be sent to Australia if they required medical care. As a result, Morrison said the medical evacuation legislation is unnecessary and undermines Canberra’s border policy, designed to discourage asylum seekers from undertaking dangerous sea voyages to Australia. In 2016, Australia agreed a deal with former US president Barack Obama to offer refuge to up to 1,250 asylum seekers. Australia has rejected offers from New Zealand to take a further 150 asylum seekers, fearing refugees would use it as a “backdoor entry” to Australia.
Source:Taipei Times
December 04, 2019 16:07 UTC