ICRT

Posted on 2020-09-18 17:06:05

Kaohsiung officials say a local pharmacy was found to be repackaging regular
face masks and selling them as medical grade masks.

The city's Department of Health says the Great Tree pharmacy used packaging
from medical grade masks, but filled the boxes with non-surgical grade masks
made by CarryMask.

Officials say 360 boxes of the subpar masks were distributed to vendors.

21 were sold to customers, and the rest were removed from store shelves.

The case is being investigated by the Qiao-tou District Prosecutor's Office.

Meanwhile....

The Central Epidemic Command Center says starting Thursday next week,
surgical face masks produced in Taiwan will be imprinted with the letters
"MD" for "medical device" and the words "Made in Taiwan".

Masks produced before this date may be sold until December 24th.

(NS)

Posted on 2020-09-18 17:06:05

The Control Yuan has released the latest financial information for the
various political parties.

According to the Yuan's figures, the ruling DPP had 187 million NT in
earnings last year, while its expenditures stood at 190 million.

This leaves it with annual debt of 3.1 million NT.

The main opposition KMT had 116 million NT in revenue compared to 117 million
in expenses.

The NPP had 107 million NT in income, while the TPP reported earnings of 42.5
million.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 17:06:05

A local travel agency is shifting gears to the hospitality industry.

Phoenix Tours has announced that it is investing half a billion NT into
building the first international-level hotel on Xiaoliuqiu island.

Work will officially begin next Monday, and they hope to have it operational
by the end of 2022.

According to Tourism Bureau figures, visitor arrivals on Xiaoliuqiu have been
growing steadily, with almost half a million tourists last year.

With international travel restrictions due to coronavirus, domestic travel
has spiked, and they expect over a million people to visit Xiaoliuqiu in
2020.

Phoenix Tours says the hotel will help boost the international visibility of
the island, and raise the competitiveness of Taiwan's tourism industry.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 17:06:05

Germany has presented a resolution at the U.N.'s top human rights body, that
raises concerns linked to Belarus' disputed presidential election last month.

The main concerns are of the torture, "arbitrary deprivations of life", and
sexual and gender-based violence directed at protestors against Belarusian
President Alexander Lukashenko.

The resolution comes as the Human Rights Council prepares for an urgent
debate today, on the situation in Belarus.

It calls on the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet,
to look into them and report back to the council by year-end.

That would entail a relatively fast response, for the often-deliberate
council.

Posted on 2020-09-18 17:06:06

Pakistani officials say an international tribunal has granted it a stay,
pending a final decision on a $5.8 billion U.S. Dollar penalty.

An adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister tweeted today that the decision by a
World Bank tribunal was a "great relief".

The fine was imposed for denying a mining lease to an Australian company:

In 2011, Pakistan had terminated the lease for Australia's Tethyan Copper
Corporation to build and operate a copper-gold open-pit mine, in a
southwestern province famed for its mineral wealth.

Pakistan has argued that paying the fine would pose too harsh a challenge, as
the impoverished country struggles to revive its economy amid the coronavirus
pandemic.

Posted on 2020-09-18 16:06:05

Premier Su Tseng-chang says Taiwan's decision to allow US ractopamine pork
imports was not a concession to secure a trade deal with Washington.

The DPP has published a survey, finding that 80 percent of local respondents
support a Bilateral Trade Agreement with the US.

However, if the lifting of the pork ban was a precondition for the deal, then
support drops to about 50 percent.

DPP lawmakers note that when the Ma administration opened to US beef in 2012,
the public hoped that it would lead to progress on the Trade and Investment
Framework Agreement, but that never materialized.

Su says the opening to US pork is not to appease the US, but to pave the way
for Taiwan establishing greater trade ties with other countries and gain
access to more global trade organizations.

He adds that the government will strictly monitor food safety, adhering to
scientific evidence and international standards.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 16:06:05

The Kaohsiung city government is welcoming possible investment by TSMC.

The semiconductor manufacturer had recently said that it is not ruling out
setting up operations in the southern city, as part of the company's efforts
to spread out across the country.

Kaohsiung deputy mayor Luo Da-sheng says the city is willing to set up a
contact window and establish a large-scale investment task force to
facilitate communication with the company.

Luo says the government will do everything it can to attract more high-tech
businesses to the city.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 16:06:05

Kaohsiung police have busted the operator of a porn site that included images
of underage children.

Authorities say the suspect created a system to grab images from the internet
and charged users for access to his site.

Police say he collected roughly 1.3 million images, including over 10
thousand of underage girls, some as young as 10 to 13.

The suspect faces up to 7 years behind bars and fines of up to 1 million NT
for violating the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act.

He also faces other charges that could see him jailed for another 5 years,
and fined an additional 700 thousand NT.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 16:06:05

Israel is set to go back into a full lockdown, to try to contain a
coronavirus outbreak that has steadily worsened for months, as its government
has been plagued by infighting.

The three-week lockdown, beginning at 11:00 GMT on Friday, will include the
closure of many businesses, strict limits on public gatherings, and will
largely confine people to within a kilometer of their homes.

The closures coincide with the Jewish High Holidays, when people typically
visit their families and gather for large prayer services.

In Tel Aviv, hundreds of people protested the renewed lockdown on Thursday,
including doctors and scientists who said it would be ineffective.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that even stricter
measures may be needed to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.

Posted on 2020-09-18 16:06:06

The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan is warning that extremist groups are planning
attacks against a variety of targets, but are taking particular aim at women.

However, the Embassy's warning didn't specify which organizations were
plotting the attacks, and Taliban deny any such plans.

It comes as the Taliban and government-appointed negotiators are sitting
together for the first time to try to find a peaceful end to decades of
relentless war.

But a U.S. peace envoy says that some, among Afghanistan's many leaders,
would be content to continue with the status quo, rather than find a peaceful
end to the war that might involve power sharing.

Posted on 2020-09-18 16:06:06

The World Food Program chief warns that millions of people are closer to
starvation, because of the deadly combination of conflict, climate change,
and the pandemic.

He says that worldwide, there are over 2,000 billionaires with a net worth of
$8 trillion, noting reports that some of the wealthiest Americans have made
"billions upon billions" during the pandemic.

He also told the U.N. Security Council that the response to his warning five
months ago of a potential "hunger pandemic" had averted famine, but that the
work wasn't done.

He warned famine was possible in up to three dozen countries and could
overwhelm places already weakened by conflict.

He cited Congo and Yemen in particular as places where help was needed to
keep people from starving.

Posted on 2020-09-18 15:41:05

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Qi-mai is vowing to crackdown on those responsible for
dumping chemicals in a local district.

Residents in Wu-song reported the strong-smelling chemical, left unattended
in a rental housing unit last night.

Efforts to contain and remove the dozen barrels of ethyl acrylate are
currently underway.

Chen says the Kaohsiung District Prosecutor's Office is also investigating
the source of the chemicals, and will determine if charges of illegal waste
disposal and air pollution are relevant.

The mayor is promising stiff penalties for anyone involved.

(NS)

Posted on 2020-09-18 15:41:05

The Hengchun Airport is getting a new lease on life.

The facility hasn't served any flights in six years now, but the Pingtung
County government has worked out a deal to trial charter flights from the
Philippines.

The trial will involve small aircraft with capacity for 31 passengers flying
from Manila.

The flight will carry Philippine air transport officials and engineering
staff to get an understanding of the flying environment at Hengchun.

The trial flight is scheduled for next Monday.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 15:41:05

A U.S. judge blocked controversial Postal Service changes that have slowed
mail nationwide, calling them ``a politically motivated attack on the
efficiency of the Postal Service'' before the November election.

Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima, Washington, says he was issuing a nationwide
preliminary injunction sought by 14 states that sued the Trump administration
and the U.S. Postal Service.

The states challenged the Postal Service's so-called ``leave mail behind''
policy, where trucks have been leaving postal facilities on time regardless
of whether there is more mail to load.

They also sought to force the Postal Service to treat election mail as first
class mail.

Posted on 2020-09-18 15:41:05

and turning briefly to business news....

Apple says it will launch its first online store in India next week, as it
seeks to increase sales in one of the world's fastest-growing smartphone
markets.

The company at present uses third-party online and offline retailers to sell
its products in the country.

With a nearly 1.4 billion people, including millions of new Internet users
every month, India has become a key focus of tech giants over the last few
years.

Apple assembles some smartphones at Foxconn and Wistron's plants in two
southern Indian states.

Posted on 2020-09-18 14:06:05

The government is vowing that local hog farmers won't go under when American
pork imports begin.

Government officials have met with pork industry presentatives to discuss how
a 100-million budget to protect the sector will be spent.

They have agreed that the government will make up the difference, if domestic
pork prices fall below the cost of production.

Production costs currently stand at an average of 65 NT per kilogram of pork.

If prices drop below that level, the government will step in and buy pork for
70 to 80 NT per kilogram.

This arrangement should not violate World Trade Organization rules.

The government has also agreed to offer subsidies for farmers to improve
their equipment and to help market Taiwan pork for export.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 14:06:05

This year's Taiwan Indigenous Tourism Carnival is kicking off.

The theme of this year's three-day event is mountain forests, and it takes
place at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park.

The carnival highlights the style and culture from 16 indigenous tribes, and
it will feature performances from singer Rachel Liang of the Rukai tribe.

The Tourism Bureau says the carnival will give visitors a taste of indigenous
cuisine, let them try their hand at traditional crafts, and take part in
other fun activities that will give them a better understanding of indigenous
culture.

The event runs through Sunday.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 14:06:05

A Keelung boating event has been adjusted amid rough sea conditions.

The Maritime and Port Bureau says portions of the event originally scheduled
for this Sunday, at the Badouzi Fishing Harbor, have been cancelled.

40 yachts were set to sail out of the harbor together with passengers on
board, but with waves up to 1 meter high forecast by the Central Weather
Bureau, the sailing part of the event was postponed.

However, officials say the seafood market, as well as performances and DIY
workshops, will go ahead as scheduled.

(NS)

Posted on 2020-09-18 14:06:05

Plans for a two-day rally this weekend are hitting nerves in Bangkok, with
apprehension about how far student demonstrators will push demands for reform
of Thailand's monarchy, and how the authorities might react.

The main demands of the groups that have been holding anti-government
demonstrations, are a dissolution of Parliament with fresh elections, a new
constitution, and an end to intimidation of political activists.

But the main organizers of the upcoming rally have been promoting an
additional point:

They want restraints on the power of the monarchy, an institution long
presented as the nation's cornerstone and untouchable.

There is some fear, however, that the state may feel forced to crack down
hard if the weekend's rally pushes the monarchy issue too strenuously.

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the event.

Posted on 2020-09-18 14:06:06

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra's job is on the line, as opposition
lawmakers push through an impeachment hearing criticized as a hasty and
poorly timed ouster attempt.

Lawmakers are far short of the two-thirds majority vote required to remove
Vizcarra from office, but even if he dodges the impeachment attempt, analysts
warn he won't escape the ordeal entirely unscathed.

And the anti-corruption agenda of his administration could be further
jeopardized, if Vizcarra is perceived as having engaged in influence-peddling
himself.

All of this is amid as Peru being one of the countries hardest hit by the
coronavirus pandemic, with a total of over 31,000 deaths, out of a population
of 32 million.

Posted on 2020-09-18 13:05:05

Premier Su Tseng-chang is thanking a US lawmaker for his support for Taiwan.

Representative Tom Tiffany is calling on Washington to formally end its One
China policy and establish official diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Su says Taiwan is an important part of the international community, and it is
happy to become a responsible member of the global family.

He says if Taiwan were given more space and opportunities to participate in
international organizations, it could make a positive contribution.

Su notes that the country has already been helping other nations during the
global pandemic by providing facemasks and medical assistance.

He adds that Taiwan could actually make great contributions if many different
fields, if not for China.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 13:05:05

The Investigation Bureau says it helped US official bust a ring of Chinese
computer hackers.

The bureau says it was investigating cyberattacks on a Taiwan energy firm,
and found it was connected to a hacker ring known as the Winnti Group.

It informed American officials to assist with their investigations into that
same group.

The helped lead to the indictment of five Chinese nationals and two Malaysian
accomplices.

Following the indictments, the US has expressed appreciation for Taiwan's
assistance, saying the data the bureau provided did help with catching the
hackers.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 13:05:05

Taipei police have busted the head of a money laundering ring.

Police had originally uncovered a telecommunications fraud operation in
Taoyuan in March.

Following the evidence, they found that the fraud ring was part of a larger
money laundering operation based in Tainan.

Police have now arrested the head of that operation, as well as four
accomplices.

They also confiscated computers, mobile devices, instruction manuals, and
other evidence.

The suspects will be charged with organized crime, fraud, and money
laundering offenses, and police will continue investigating whether other
groups were involved in the scheme.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-18 13:05:05

New Zealand has reported no new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, for the
first time in more than five weeks, as hopes rise that an outbreak discovered
in Auckland last month has been quelled.

Friday's report also marked the fourth consecutive day without any cases of
community transmission, as all recent cases have been found among quarantined
travelers returning from abroad.

However, authorities have still not pinpointed the origin of the August
outbreak, which they believe was imported.

Auckland was temporarily placed into lockdown after that outbreak, as the
country continued its strategy of trying to completely eliminate community
spread of the virus.

As of today, New Zealand has reported a total of just over 1800 cases, and 25
deaths.

Posted on 2020-09-18 13:05:06

An Australian state government says it will open the state border to the
national capital, after the government was criticized for refusing to allow a
Canberra resident to attend her father's funeral due to pandemic
restrictions.

Health Minister Steven Miles said Canberra travelers would no longer have to
spend time in Queensland hotel quarantine, starting from September 25th.

They'll have to fly rather than drive to Queensland, however, because
Canberra is surrounded by the New South Wales state, which remains subject to
border restrictions.

Posted on 2020-09-18 11:13:05

Premier Su Tseng-chang reaffirmed today that as long as the government does
not collapse neither will its labour insurance system.

Su made the comment during an interview in response to questions on labour
insurance reforms.

He said the government has the utmost respect for workers and has a duty to
bear responsibility for labour insurance payments.

The Ministry of Labour was initially supposed to submit an annuity reform
proposal before the end of the year, but yesterday it released a statement
saying due to differences in opinions, there is no specific schedule for the
reform, and said things will move forward once there is a consensus.

(RD)

Posted on 2020-09-18 11:13:05

Premier Su Tseng-chang is to visit the Legislative Yuan today to discuss the
importation of American beef and pork containing ractopamine. The Executive
Yuan's report for the session says Taiwan's current ban on ractopamine is an
obstacle in trade relations with the U.S., and now is a key moment to
overcome this barrier.

The report states the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2018 and 2019 already
examined the health impacts of beef from young cattle and pork containing
ractopamine, and results of the evaluations will be discussed in a
consultation with experts this month.

It also says taking into account the eating and health habits of the general
population, limits on ractopamine in pork have been placed at 0.01 parts per
million for most meat, and 0.04 ppm for liver and kidney.

Su also points out that American pork will be clearly labelled so customers
can choose not to purchase it if they wish.

(RD)

Posted on 2020-09-18 11:13:05

A Japanese delegation led by former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori is scheduled
to arrive in Taiwan later today to attend tomorrow's official memorial for
former President Lee Teng-hui.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation will arrive on a
charter flight and will pay tribute to Lee during a memorial at the chapel of
Aletheia University in Tamsui.

The foreign ministry says it welcomes Mori's visit and is expressing its
gratitude, saying that the fact Tokyo is sending a former prime minister to
Lee's memorial is an indication of the importance it attaches to Taiwan-Japan
ties.

Mori served as Japan's prime minister from 2000-2001.

And his visit marks the second time the senior Japanese politician has
traveled to Taiwan in less than two months to pay his respects to Lee.

Posted on 2020-09-18 11:13:05

In the U.S., two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies told investigators
they fatally shot a Black man in South Los Angeles two weeks ago after he
picked up a gun he'd dropped during a struggle.

Dijon Kizzee, 29, was killed Aug. 31 after he ran away when deputies tried to
stop him for riding a bicycle in the wrong direction.

Officials said Thursday the deputies told detectives Kizzee dropped the
weapon during the scuffle and then picked it up.

The deputies then fired 19 times.

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is representing Kizzee's relatives and
has called the shooting a ''despicable and tragic killing.''

Posted on 2020-09-18 11:13:06

Bolivia's Interim President Jeanine Anez is dropping out of the country's
presidential election scheduled for Oct. 18.

She says she wants to avoid dividing the votes of people who oppose returning
the party of ex-leader Evo Morales to power, and wants "to ensure there is a
winner who defends democracy."

Anez became interim president last year after Morales resigned the presidency
and went into self-exile amid widespread protests over allegations of
electoral fraud.

Anez has been a distant fourth in recent opinion polls.

The front-runner is former Economy Minister Luis Arce, the candidate of the
Movement for Socialism.

Posted on 2020-09-18 08:34:05

And in related news ....

The head of Taiwan's New York representative office has held talks with the
U-S Ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft.

According to Craft, she met Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Director
James Lee at an outdoor restaurant on Manhattan's East Side and it was the
first meeting between a top Taiwan official and an American ambassador to the
U-N.

Craft is describing the meeting a "historic" and says it's a "further step in
the Trump administration's campaign to strengthen relations with the
self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory."

Lee served as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretary-general until July
and has just arrived in New York.

The meeting comes at the U-N General Assembly is underway virtually.

China's U-N Mission is condemning the meeting - claiming it to be "a serious
violation" of a General Assembly resolution, the three US-China joint
communiques, and China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Posted on 2020-09-18 08:34:05

The Food and Drug Administration is revising regulations on the labeling of
products with pork fat ingredients.

The reversal of the policy mandates that such products must carry a label
showing the country of origin.

The new draft guidelines are a revision of the F-D-A's controversial
September 7 proposal, that said only pure pork fat would require the country
of origin label and that other products containing pork fat would be exempt.

However, the initial guidelines were criticized by Health Minister Chen
Shih-chung, who said the government would prefer to see "labels of origin of
all pork fat products."

The guidelines are part of the government's plans to open Taiwan's market to
imported U-S pork and beef products containing the leanness enhancer
ractopamine from January of next year.

Posted on 2020-09-18 08:34:06

And finally,

The Taoyuan International Airport has launched a driverless shuttle service
on a trial run basis.

The move is part of the government's efforts to push for a "smart airport."

According to the Taoyuan International Airport Corporation, the first phase
of the trial service will continue until next Tuesday in Section C of
Terminal Two's P4 car park.

The driverless shuttle bus is taking passengers to where their cars are
parked.

The vehicles have been provided by Taoyuan City Government with technology
developed by the Taipei-based Kingwaytek Technology company.

The airport operator says the driverless shuttle bus will operate on roads
and take passengers in and out of the airport in the second phase of the
trial.

However, the timeframe for the second stage of the trial run has not yet been
announced.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:05

Visiting U-S Under Secretary of State Keith Krach will be meeting with
President Tsai Ing-wen and other government officials later today.

The U-S delegation arrived at Taipei's Songshan Airport on a commercial
charter flight yesterday evening, where they were greeted by Deputy Foreign
Minister Harry Tseng and American Institute in Taiwan Director Brent
Christensen.

Although is has been reported Krach was scheduled to host the US-Taiwan
Economic and Commercial Dialogue, the U-S State Department is stressing that
he's visiting Taiwan to attend former president Lee Teng-hui's memorial
service and is making no mention of the economic talks.

Reports have been claiming those talks were canceled because Washington was
angry due to leaking of information about Krach's trip and his itinerary.

However, the Presidential Office is dismissing those reports and says both
sides are still preparing for the dialogue, following its announcement on
August 31 by the U-S State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific
Affairs.

Krach and the U-S officials are slated to attend a memorial service for
former president Lee tomorrow before leaving Taiwan.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:05

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je says he is currently preparing to run for the
presidency in 2024.

The statement comes after Ko was asked by K-M-T city councilor Alan Lee
whether or not the mayor was eyeing a presidential position during a Taipei
City Council hearing.

Ko responded to the question by saying "I am not thinking about running for
presidency in 2024, I am directly preparing."

According to Ko, he firmly believes he could have won this year's
presidential election, but chose not to run because he had to "take the
Taipei Music Center, Taipei Performing Arts Center and Taipei Dome into
account."

Ko was also asked by city councilors about possible Taiwan People's Party
representatives for 2022's local elections.

However, the mayor responded to that question saying "he doesn't have time to
think about such things right now."

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:05

The Central Epidemic Command Center has confirmed three new coronavirus
cases, bringing the total number of cases here in Taiwan since the pandemic
began to 503.

Health officials say the three cases involved Taiwanese nationals are were
all imported.

One patient is a woman in her 40s, who traveled to Myanmar in February for
work purposes and returned to Taiwan on September 13.

Another involves a woman in her 20s, who went to the U-K in February of last
year for work and returned to Taiwan on September 6.

While the third case is a man in his 30s, who had traveled to the
Philippines in March for work and returned to Taiwan on September 13.

All three are now being treated in hospitals.

And the epidemic command center has contacted people who may have had contact
with the patients.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:05

Change

Environmental groups are calling on elected officials to take more action
against climate change when the new legislative session begins today.

According to the environmental justice advocacy group, Citizen of the Earth,
Taiwan, lawmakers are set to review several climate-related bills during the
new session and as such, now is a good time to step up efforts to tackle
climate change.

The bills up for review in the coming weeks include amendments to the
Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act, the budget for the
Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program 3-point-0 and the special
budget for coronavirus economic relief.

And the environmental groups say lawmakers should take the effects of climate
change into consideration when reviewing the bills and finalizing how the
budgets be allocated.

The Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition says an alliance of environmental groups
is planning to stage a rally in Taipei next week to highlight the need for
the government to make climate change a national security issue.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:06

Ding-Li Group founder Qin Xiang-yu has been repatriated from Thailand to
stand trial on charges of financial fraud.

Qin had been serving a two-year sentence in Thailand after attempting to
enter the country on a fake Taiwanese passport, but received a royal pardon
on September 15.

Qin has been wanted here in Taiwan since he fled the country and traveled to
China in 2016 after being found guilty of fraud by the Taiwan High Court the
previous year.

Prior to arriving in Thailand on the forged passport in September of 2018,
Qin had been living in China and Cambodia.

Law enforcement agencies here in Taiwan had been working with the Thai
government to extradite him back to Taiwan since his arrest there.

Qin was transferred to the Taipei Detention Center on his arrival back in
Taiwan to undergo a mandatory quarantine and will be sent to Taipei Prison
after 14-days.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:06

And,

The European Economic and Trade Office says European Union member states will
be co-hosting an investment forum in Taipei next week to introduce Europe's
investment environment to Taiwanese companies.

According to the European office in Taipei, the forum is geared towards
"creating an added value" to the Taiwan-EU relationship and its hoped that
"the more interactions the two sides have, the closer their relations will
be."

The office says Taiwanese businesses can expand their markets through
investing in E-U member states, leveraging from the 41 trade agreements the
regional bloc has signed with 72 countries around the globe.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says the government will be working to encourage
local companies to invest in the E-U in order to strengthen the global supply
chain security, especially in the fields of healthcare, 5-G technologies and
green energy.

The first-ever E-U Investment Forum is being co-organized by the European
Economic and Trade Office, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and will be taking place at the Taipei International
Convention Center.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:06

The United States is accusing militant group Hezbollah of storing chemicals
to make explosives throughout Europe.

U.S. State Department Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Nathan Sales made the
accusation yesterday as he appealed to European nations to join the U.S., the
U.K. and Germany in banning Hezbollah outright as a terrorist organization.

Sales says the U.S. believes Hezbollah has suspected stockpiles of ammonium
nitrate in Greece, Italy and Spain for potential future attacks.

Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound commonly used as fertilizer, but it
can be used to make explosives.

The U.S. has designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization since
1997, but some countries distinguish between the organization's military wing
and the political wing.

The EU lists Iran-backed Hezbollah's military wing as a banned terrorist
group, but not its political wing, which has been part of Lebanese
governments in recent years.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:06

A U.S. judge in Philadelphia has dismissed a lawsuit filed over the 2017 fire
at London's Grenfell Tower that killed 72 people.

U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson says in Wednesday's ruling that it would
be more efficient to try the case in England.

The lawsuit argued that faulty building materials made by U.S. manufacturers
turned the high-rise into a ``flaming coffin.''

The suit was filed last year against Michigan-based Whirlpool and
Pennsylvania-based makers of cladding and insulation.

Plaintiffs may consider an appeal.

The 2017 fire started in a refrigerator and raced up the side of the 24-story
building.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:06

German authorities say a hacker attack caused the failure of IT systems at a
major hospital in Duesseldorf, and a woman who needed urgent admission died
after she had to be taken to another city for treatment.

The Duesseldorf University Clinic's systems gradually crashed and the
hospital wasn't able to access data; emergency patients were taken elsewhere
and operations postponed.

The woman in question was in a life-threatening condition and was taken to a
hospital in Wuppertal, a roughly 32-kilometer drive away. Doctors weren't
able to start treating her for an hour and she died.

Authorities said Thursday that an extortion note left on a hospital server
was aimed at an affiliated university, not at the hospital.

When police told hackers the hospital was affected, they provided a
decryption key. The hackers are no longer reachable, they said.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:06

Belarus' president, beleaguered by six weeks of large protests calling for
his resignation, says he is putting troops on alert and closing the country's
borders with Poland and Lithuania.

President Alexander Lukashenko also said Belarus' border with the Ukraine
would be strengthened.

He commented at a women's forum yesterday that he doesn't want Belarus,
Poland, and Lithuania to turn into a theater of military operations where
issues will not be resolved.

Lukashenko's decision underlines his repeated claim that the massive wave of
protests is driven by the West, and comes amid increasing criticism from the
United States and the European Union.

Protests began after the Aug. 9 presidential election that official results
say gave the authoritarian leader a sixth term in office, however opponents
say the results were manipulated.

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:06

Poland's justice minister has accused the European Union of waging an
``attack on democracy'' after the European Parliament passed a resolution
criticizing lax adherence to the rule of law and discrimination against women
and LGBT people in the EU member-state.

The country's Justice Minister called the resolution ``absurd'' and an
assault on the ``true rule of law.''

He said Poland would fight efforts to cut the country's EU funding over the
allegations.

EU lawmakers adopted the resolution on a 513-148 vote, with 33 abstentions,
after debating a report on fundamental rights in Poland.

The Spanish lawmaker who prepared the report said Thursday that Polish
authorities ``continue to operate in contempt of the European legal order.''

Posted on 2020-09-18 07:45:07

And finally,

Not even the coronavirus pandemic could stop the 30th annual Ig Nobel
ceremony, which recognizes sometimes dubious but always humorous scientific
achievements.

The event is usually held live at Harvard University, but this year's awards
presentation was a virtual prerecorded affair.

One winner is an anthropologist who tried to fashion a knife out of frozen
human feces.

Another is a researcher who found that people who study insects for a living
are creeped out by spiders.

While U-S President Donald Trump and several other world leaders also won Ig
Nobels for insisting they're smarter than scientists in dealing with the
coronavirus pandemic.

Posted on 2020-09-17 17:06:05

The NPP is looking to legislate more lead time for changes to major policies.

This is a reaction to President Tsai Ing-wen's use of an executive order to
announce Taiwan's opening to US beef and pork imports treated with
ractopamine, which has only a seven day notice period.

The NPP says it wants to mandate a 60 day period going forward into the
Administrative Procedure Act and the Act Governing Food Safety and
Sanitation.

NPP lawmakers say it is important for Taiwan to follow international trends,
but the government needs to properly communicate its policy decision with the
public.

It says public hearings and policy presentations should be held before major
changes are implemented.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 17:06:05

A locally-developed rapid coronavirus test could be hitting the market soon.

The National Defense Medical Center and the National Health Research
Institutes cooperated on the tests, which can have results in just 15
minutes.

The developers are teaming up with five local manufacturers for trial
production and human testing.

One of the manufacturers has applied to the Food and Drug Administration for
Emergency Use Authorization of the test, and they hope to have it
commercially available before the end of the year.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 17:06:05

The Ministry of Finance says cigarette smuggling has increased signficantly
during the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Ministry figures, over 130 million packs of illegal cigarettes
were confiscated during the first 8 months of the year.

That's up almost a quarter compared to the year before figure.

The confiscated smokes have an estimated street value of over 1 billion NT.

Finance officials say there has been a sharp increase in cigarette brands
smuggled from China, whereas previously most smuggled packs were unmarked and
made by underground manufacturers.

They warn the public that anyone caught smuggling cigarettes faces up to 3
years behind bars and fines of up to 10 million NT.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 17:06:05

Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has started his first full day in
office, with a resolve to push forward popular reforms.

Suga told reporters as he walked into the prime minister's office today: "I'm
determined to work hard for the people and get results so we can live up to
their expectations".

Suga was formally elected Wednesday to replace Shinzo Abe, who announced last
month that he planned to step down due to ill health.

While Suga won the backing of fellow ruling party lawmakers, with a pledge to
carry on Abe's policies and work on Abe's unfinished goals, he is also
pushing for some policy changes of his own.

He says he will break down bureaucratic barriers and eliminate vested
interests standing in the way of reforms, while listening to the voices of
the ordinary people to fix the problems that don't serve their interests.

Posted on 2020-09-17 17:06:06

India's defense minister says the country faces challenges in its border
dispute with China, and is urging Beijing to completely disengage forces in
the Ladakh region, after reaching an understanding earlier this week.

Rajnath Singh told the upper house of Parliament that China has amassed
troops and armaments in Ladakh, in violation of past agreements, and was
creating friction by trying to alter the status quo.

Singh has also said now that India has doubled its budget on building roads,
bridges, and other infrastructure along the border, to match the Chinese
infrastructure to accelerate mobility of forces.

India and China fought a border war in 1962, that spilled into Ladakh and
ended in an uneasy truce.

Since then, troops have guarded the undefined border area, occasionally
brawling.

A clash there in June was their deadliest in decades.

Posted on 2020-09-17 17:06:06

A Greek police operation is underway on the island of Lesbos to move
thousands of migrants and refugees, left homeless after a fire destroyed
their overcrowded camp.

Police say Thursday morning's operation included 70 female police officers,
who were approaching asylum-seekers with the aim of persuading them to move
to the new camp facility in the island's Kara Tepe area.

The notoriously squalid Moria camp burned down last week, in fires that Greek
authorities said were deliberately set by a small group of the camp's
inhabitants, who were angered by lockdown restrictions imposed after a
coronavirus outbreak.

Moria had a capacity of just over 2,700 people, but more than 12,500 people
had been living in and around it when it burned down.

Posted on 2020-09-17 16:06:05

The CECC has recorded three new cases of imported coronavirus.

The Central Epidemic Command Center says the patients are all Taiwanese
nationals who were returning from Myanmar, the United Kingdom, and the
Philippines.

The patients from Myanmar and the UK were asymptomatic, but the Philippines
patient had started experiencing symptoms there, but had not sought medical
treatment.

This brings Taiwan's total confirmed COVID-19 caseload to 503.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 16:06:05

Several ministers will report to lawmakers tomorrow as the new legislative
session begins.

Premier Su Tseng-chang has invited the heads of several different ministries
to join him as he explains to lawmakers top government policies, including
the decision to allow US beef and pork imports.

They will also discuss next year's general budget, the next phase of the
forward-looking infrastructure development project, and the third wave of
coronavirus rescue funds.

Su says he hopes to give lawmakers a better understanding of the Tsai
administration's reasoning for these various policies.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 16:06:06

declining

The number of students involved in drug abuse is declining in Taipei city,
according to Taipei education officials.

Officials say they did see a peak in 2017, when Taiwan saw an influx of new
types of drugs in fancy packaging that many young people found attractive.

But since then, the number of students involved in drug-related cases has
stayed at 51 in 2018 and 2019.

However, these figures differed from the Criminal Investigation Police
Division's data.

The data shows that of the students aged between 12 and 17 in Taipei, some
110 had a record of using or selling drugs last year, which almost doubled
the number in the previous year.

Local media have also reported that school campuses are increasingly becoming
a hotbed for drug-related crimes.

Education officials today promise to offer more anti-drug courses at school
and to cooperate more closely with the law enforcement authorities to crack
down on students' drug abuse.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-17 16:06:06

The author of proposed Australian laws that would make Facebook and Google
pay for journalism, says his draft legislation will be altered to allay some
concerns, but will remain fundamentally unchanged.

The laws aim to make Facebook and Google pay Australian media companies for
the news content they use.

Australia's fair trade regulator, Rod Sims, chair of the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission, said he would give his final draft of
the laws by early October.

In response, Facebook has warned it might block Australian news content,
rather than pay for it.

And Google has said the proposed laws would result in "dramatically worse
Google Search and YouTube".

Posted on 2020-09-17 16:06:06

Officials say three suspected rebels and a 45-year-old woman were killed,
during a gunbattle between government forces and anti-India rebels, in the
main city of disputed Kashmir.

An Indian paramilitary spokesman said the gunfight erupted shortly after
counterinsurgency police and soldiers launched an operation based on a tip
about militants.

The gunfight also left a paramilitary officer wounded.

As the fighting raged, residents marched nearby in solidarity with the rebels.

Government forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas at the stone-throwing
protesters.

Armed rebels have fought Indian rule since 1989, which New Delhi calls
Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

Pakistan denies the charge, and most Kashmiris call it a legitimate freedom
struggle.

Posted on 2020-09-17 15:07:05

Defense officials say they are closely monitoring Chinese military activity
in waters east of Taiwan.

The Ministry of National Defense says a Chinese naval vessel entered waters
off Hualien last night, roughly 39 nautical miles east of Xiulin Township.

Officials say the southbound vessel passed through waters off Orchid Island,
and entered the Bashi Channel earlier this morning.

The MND says it is fully in control of the situation, and will continue
monitoring PLA movements to maintain national security.

(NS)

Posted on 2020-09-17 15:07:05

The MOC is reminding people to use their stimulus vouchers.

The Ministry of Culture says less than half of the Arts Fun Vouchers it first
distributed in July have been spent so far.

A second wave of vouchers were given out last week.

As of yesterday, about 570 million NT in digital and physical vouchers have
been used.

The vouchers expire at the end of next February.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 15:07:05

Prices at the pump are expected to go down again next week.

Analysts predict that fuel prices will go down by 0.1 NT per liter.

CPC Corporation will announced the official price adjustment on Sunday.

Analysts say prices will likely start climbing again after that, as storms
cut US crude production and the US Fed maintains near-zero interest rates.

Posted on 2020-09-17 15:07:06

A delivery man delivered a package to the police instead of the intended
recipient on suspicion of foul play.

As it turns out, the package contained 100 grams of amphetamine, and Taipei
police say they arrested and questioned three people in connection with the
package.

Police say the delivery man, surnamed Xie, went to the Xin-men-ding police
station late at night in June with a package that he found strange.

Xie told the police that the sender looked anxious when answering the door,
and the package felt unusual.

Police later found five packets of amphetamine in the package, saying that
the three suspects are now facing charges of violating the Narcotics Hazard
Prevention Act.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-17 15:07:06

In world news...

U.S. President Donald Trump has completely contradicted the government’s top
health experts, by predicting a coronavirus vaccine could be ready in the
coming weeks.

AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports.

Posted on 2020-09-17 15:07:06

China’s ByteDance faces an uphill struggle to convince the White House to
allow it to keep majority ownership of its short video app TikTok in the
United States.

An estimated 100 million Americans are using the app.

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered ByteDance last month to divest TikTok,
and threatened to ban it in the country as early as Sept. 20 if ByteDance
does not comply.

The company has submitted a plan to U.S. officials for it to keep a majority
stake in TikTok’s global business and create headquarters for TikTok in the
U.S.

The proposal is being reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the
U.S.

Posted on 2020-09-17 14:49:05

Posted on 2020-09-17 14:06:05

The US Ambassador to the United Nations has met with Taiwan's representative
to New York.

Kelly Craft says she had lunch with Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
director James Lee, in what she called a 'historic' meeting.

It was the first meeting between a high-level Taiwan official and the US
envoy to the UN.

Craft says it was a further step in the Trump administration's campaign to
strengthen relations with Taiwan.

She and Lee "discussed different ways that we can best help Taiwan become
more engaged within the U.N."

Craft stressed that U.S. and Taiwan share the goal of promoting democracy and
she said she looks forward one day to meeting Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 14:06:05

The US Ambassador to the United Nations has met with Taiwan's representative
to New York.

Kelly Craft says she had lunch with Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
director James Lee, in what she called a 'historic' meeting.

It was the first meeting between a high-level Taiwan official and the U.S.
envoy to the U.N.

Craft says it was a further step in the Trump administration's campaign to
strengthen relations with Taiwan.

She and Lee "discussed different ways that we can best help Taiwan become
more engaged within the U.N."

Craft stressed that U.S. and Taiwan share the goal of promoting democracy and
she said she looks forward one day to meeting Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 14:06:05

The KMT chair is set to speak for the first time at an annual US-Taiwan
defense meeting.

Johnny Chiang will be the first leader of his party to speak at the US-Taiwan
Defense Industry Conference, organized each year by the American Institute in
Taiwan.

Chiang will talk about the KMT's views on the regional situation and national
defense policy.

According to a KMT statement, Chiang believes that US arms sales are integral
to Taiwan's national security, especially as regional stability rapidly
deteriorates.

He thinks both political and military matters need to be tightly controlled
to restore peace and stability.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 14:06:05

The Tainan Art Museum is preparing to receive its 2 millionth guest.

The museum opened its doors in January of last year, and has seen 1.95
million visitors since then.

The museum expects the 2 millionth guest to arrive some time around the
upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.

It is preparing gifts valued at 60 thousand NT for the lucky visitor,
including free entry passes and museum souvenirs.

The guests immediately before and after will get smaller gift packages.

The museum would have hit the milestone earlier, but the coronavirus outbreak
drove down tourist numbers.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 14:06:06

The EPA is planning to add more air pollutants to its list of controlled
emissions.

The Environmental Protection Administration says it wants to include 22
substances, which are possible carcinogens.

It will propose stricter emission standards for these pollutants.

Other pollutants may be included later, based on their potential impact on
human health.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 14:06:06

The smoke from dozens of wildfires in the western United States is stretching
clear across the country, and even pushing into Mexico, Canada, and Europe.

While the dangerous plumes are forcing people inside along the West Coast,
residents thousands of miles away in the East are seeing unusually hazy skies
and vivid sunsets.

The sun was transformed into a perfect orange orb as it set over New York
City on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, New Jersey residents described a yellow tinge to the overcast
skies.

Experts say the smoke poses less of a health concern for those who are
farther away.

Still, science authorities say that the resulting haze can exacerbate
existing problems like asthma, and add to ozone pollution.

Posted on 2020-09-17 14:06:06

Rivers swollen by Hurricane Sally's rains could mean more problems for parts
of south Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, in the U.S. southeast.

Sally had diminished to a tropical depression by late Wednesday.

But it was still a rainmaker as it moved into Georgia on a path to the
Carolinas.

Authorities warned that rain from the storm could swell eight waterways in
Florida and Alabama to record levels.

Florida's Governor is warning residents and visitors of river flooding in the
coming days.

Posted on 2020-09-17 13:05:05

A visiting US official will not be discussing formal trade issues as
originally believed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says US Undersecretary of State for Economic
Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach will not engage in US-Taiwan
Economic and Commercial Dialogue this trip.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says Krach will represent Washington at a memorial
service for former president Lee Teng-hui.

Wu notes that Krach is a high-level official, and his visit is evidence of
the close ties between Taiwan and the United States.

As for the Dialogue, Wu says the two sides are still preparing for the talks.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-17 13:05:05

The Council of Agriculture is reminding over 700-thousand people that today
is the last day to use their agriculture stimulus vouchers.

The C-O-A issued 5 million vouchers, worth $250 NT each, on July 15 and they
expire today.

Officials say unused vouchers will be void after the deadline.

Hundreds of grocery shops, recreational farms, restaurants and flower stores
accept the voucher.

For more information, visit eticket.coa.gov.tw.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-17 13:05:05

The United States is preparing to declare that all international sanctions
against Iran have been restored, despite overwhelming opposition.

U.S. President Trump's administration will announce on Saturday that the U.N.
sanctions, which were eased under the 2015 nuclear deal, are back in force.

Few countries believe that restoring all international sanctions is legal,
and the U.S. move could provoke a credibility crisis at the United Nations.

But the other members of the U.N. Security Council, including U.S. allies,
say the U.S. lost its legal standing to act when Trump withdrew from the
nuclear accord.

Posted on 2020-09-17 13:05:06

For years, authorities in Sri Lanka have tried to rid the Indian Ocean island
nation of illegal drugs.

But a drug ring allegedly including more than a dozen officers from a key
national narcotics unit has exposed how much of a challenge that goal brings.

Authorities say the ring involved officers from the national Police Narcotic
Bureau who smuggled illicit drugs into the country by sea.

They then allegedly stored them in safe houses, ran fake raids, and siphoned
off a portion of the seizures to sell to drug dealers, pocketing millions in
profits.

In all, 18 officers from the Police Narcotic Bureau have been detained, along
with five civilians.

Since Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa was elected to office last November,
police and security forces have intensified their crackdown on drugs, with
suspects arrested almost daily.

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:05

As trains across the country are fully booked for the upcoming Mid-Autumn
Festival, the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation has decided to add eight
additional journeys to schedules.

196 new times have been added to train schedules in total, including 103
heading north and 93 heading south.

188 new times for the holiday period were already made available for HSR
trips earlier this month.

For each of the new train journeys, there will be between three and five
unreserved carriages.

Tickets will be available for these trips from midnight on September 19.

(RD)

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:05

Police have closed the case on a woman that went missing 13 years ago after
discovering that a body found on a shore in Miaoli in the same year belonged
to her.

Authorities say the woman, surnamed Lin, was unidentifiable at the time, as
she had no identification on her person and seawater and sunlight exposure
had caused significant decay to her corpse.

An officer from Keelung's first police division said he made the discovery
after cross-analyzing over 100 pieces of data on the size, appearance, and
location among other parameters of bodies discovered over the past 13 years.

The investigation into Lin's disappearance was reopened after he found she
and the body in question shared similar characteristics.

Lin's parents accepted the body belonged to their daughter on a visit to the
Keelung police division, but said they had never given up hope of finding
her.

(RD)

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:05

The Ministry of National Defense has established a "real time military
update" feature on its website to publicly disclose updates on military
activity through written posts and photographs.

This comes following a recent period of increased attempts by China's
People's Liberation Army to threaten and intimidate Taiwan.

China has recently sent countless fighter jets to circle the island, invading
Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone in the southeast multiple times.

And defense officials this morning announced that two Chinese Shaanxi Y-8
anti-submarine aircraft entered Taiwan's airspace yesterday.

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:06

A Japanese restaurant chain has publicly listed on Taipei Exchange.

Shares of Kura Sushi Asia soared in its debut on the Taipei Exchange this
morning to 112 NT a share, compared with its initial public offering price of
55 NT per share.

Its revenues reached 240 million NT last month alone, an increase of
30-percent year-on-year due to new outlets in Taipei and Tai-nan city.

Established in 2014, Kura Sushi plans to operate 30 outlets in Taiwan by the
end of the year, and that number should increase to 50 in the coming two
years.

The company is a local subsidiary of Osaka-based Kura Sushi, which is the
second-largest low-priced conveyor-belt sushi chain in Japan.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:06

The Justice Department has charged five Chinese citizens with hacking,
targeting more than 100 companies and institutions in the United States and
abroad.

Targets included social media and video game companies, as well as
universities and telecommunications providers.

The U.S. Justice Department has not directly linked the hackers to the
Chinese government, but officials suspect they may be proxies for Beijing.

They say this is because some of the targets, including pro-democracy
activists and students at a Taiwan university, were in line with government
interests, and didn't appear to be about scoring a profit.

The five defendants remain fugitives, but prosecutors say two Malaysian
businessmen accused of conspiring with the alleged hackers, have been
arrested in that country this week, and face extradition proceedings.

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:06

Divers have found what they believe is the wreck of a U.S. Navy submarine
lost 77 years ago in Southeast Asia.

The wreck lies 82 meters underwater somewhere in the Strait of Malacca, about
150 kilometers south of Phuket, Thailand.

The divers have sent photos and other evidence from their dives to the United
States Naval History and Heritage Command. The command will verify if what
they have found is the USS Grenadier, one of 52 American submarines lost in
World War II.

The Grenadier was scuttled by its crew after bombs from a Japanese plane
almost sent them to a watery grave.

All 76 submariners survived the bombing and sinking, but four did not survive
their subsequent years as prisoners of war.

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:06

Hawaii's governor says that, starting October 15th, travelers arriving from
out of state may bypass a 14-day quarantine requirement, if they test
negative for the coronavirus.

Governor David Ige said Wednesday that travelers will have to take the test
within 72 hours before their flight arrives in the islands.

Ige says drug store operator CVS and healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente
will conduct the tests.

The state has previously delayed the start of the pre-travel testing program
twice as COVID-19 cases spiked on the U.S. mainland and in Hawaii.

Tourism traffic to the state has plunged more than 90% during the pandemic,
closing hundreds of hotels and putting many people out of work.

Leaders hope pre-travel testing will encourage tourists to return while
keeping residents safe.

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:06

A Mexico City official says the capital had 20,535 `excess deaths''
attributable to COVID-19 between April and August.

That is almost double the official death toll of 11,318 reported for the
pandemic in Mexico City.

Like all of Mexico, the city of almost 9 million inhabitants has had an
extremely low testing rate and officials acknowledge that the number of
test-confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths probably undercounts the real
figures.

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:06

Amnesty International is calling for an immediate investigation into the
killing of a woman in Mozambique that was widely shared across social media
earlier this week.

A two-minute video depicts the woman naked, being beaten by sticks, as
military men chase her down a road, verbally harrassing her.

The video ends as she's shot dead and one man declares "they've killed the
al-Shabaab," which is a local name for the insurgency growing in northern
Mozambique.

Amnesty International's Director for East and Southern Africa said it was
another gruesome example of the gross human rights violations made by
Mozambique military forces.

Posted on 2020-09-17 12:16:07

Hurricane Sally has weakened to a tropical depression, but is still dumping
torrential rains over eastern Alabama and western Georgia.

The National Hurricane Center said winds of the once-powerful hurricane have
decreased to about 55 kilometers per hour, with some higher gusts.

Parts of southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle are still bracing for
potentially serious flooding from bulging rivers.

Officials are reporting one death and one person missing so far.

Posted on 2020-09-17 11:10:05

The Centers for Disease Control announced three new coronavirus cases today.
All of the cases have been classified as imported.

This brings Taiwan's total caseload since the pandemic began to 503. More
information will be issued in a press conference by the CDC this afternoon.

(RD)

Posted on 2020-09-17 11:10:05

U-S Under Secretary State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment,
Keith Krach, will arrive in Taiwan at 3 o'clock this afternoon for economic
talks and to attend a memorial service for former President Lee Teng-hui.

Krach, will be the highest-ranking official from that department to visit
Taiwan since Washington cut diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it's glad to see that the U-S is sending
Krach to Taiwan to discuss ways to "deepen the close economic ties between
Taiwan and the United States."

Krach is also slated to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other high-level
government officials before leaving Taiwan on Saturday.

Posted on 2020-09-17 11:10:06

The Judicial Yuan has started seminars in preparation for a new jury system
that involves ordinary citizens.

It comes after the Legislative Yuan passed the Citizen Judges Act in July to
allow citizens to take part in judicial proceedings via a "joint trial, joint
verdict" mechanism.

Judicial Yuan secretary general Lin Hui-huang says for the mechanism to work,
it's important that judges, prosecutors and lawyers understand this major
change and prepare well for it.

Lin says the Yuan has planned a series of seminars and "seed teacher"
workshops in the north, center and south.

The new system will take effect on January 1, 2023.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-17 11:10:06

New Zealand's economy shrank by a record 12.2% in the second quarter due to a
strict coronavirus lockdown, but forecasts indicate activity is bouncing
back.

The quarterly fall in GDP was by far the largest on record and signaled New
Zealand was in recession for the first time in 11 years.

Economists say the decline will likely be followed by a record increase in
activity as many businesses get back to work.

Forecasts released by the Treasury this week predict unemployment will peak
at 7.8%, lower than earlier predictions of nearly 10%.

New Zealand continues to pursue a bold strategy of trying to eliminate the
virus altogether rather than just contain its spread. It has reported just
over 1,800 cases and 25 deaths.

Posted on 2020-09-17 11:10:06

The mayor of a coastal town in the U.S. says one person has died as a result
of Hurricane Sally.

Mayor Tony Kennon of Orange Beach, Alabama said the person died Wednesday. He
added that one other person is missing.

Kennon said no other details would be released immediately.

Sally went ashore Wednesday morning near the popular vacation destination as
a major hurricane.

Damage to the beach was not bad, but in neighborhoods along canals and beside
the bay, damage was worse than what the city suffered in Hurricane Ivan,
which hit 16 years to the day earlier.

Posted on 2020-09-17 09:17:05

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says a policy that will require domestic
manufacturers to emboss face masks with the letters "M-D" and "M-I-T" will
now take effect on September 24.

According to Chen, that's one week later than planned, and the implementation
of the policy has been postponed to allow for the "installation of embossing
machines and other logistical adjustments."

The statement comes after the Food and Drug Administration earlier this week
announced that the new policy was slated to be introduced today.

The policy to emboss face masks made here in Taiwan with the letters "M-D"
and "M-I-T" is being introduced amid concern over fraud and counterfeit.

The health minister says when the policy takes effect, all surgical face
masks pre-ordered through the National Health Insurance system will carry the
imprints "MD" and "MIT."

In-store purchased masks produced before September 24, which do not have the
imprints, will be allowed on the market until December 24, but will be
recalled by March 23 of next year.

Posted on 2020-09-17 09:17:05

A Marine sergeant who was seriously injured after falling overboard during a
military drill in July has died.

Amale Dwkado had been hospitalized for two months since his seven-member team
fell into rough seas during a drill in waters off Tao-Zi-Yuan beach in
Kaohsiung during an exercise simulating a response to an enemy landing.

The Zuoying Branch of the Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital says the
Marine sergeant died of heart failure.

Of the seven Marines who fell overboard, three were in critical condition
while the other one sustained non-life threatening injuries.

The other two who were in critical condition died on July 5.

President Tsai Ing-wen says she was deeply saddened by the marine's death.

While the Navy is offering it condolences over the death of the sergeant and
says it will posthumously promote him and provide compensation and funeral
assistance to his family.

Posted on 2020-09-17 09:17:06

The Presidential Office is congratulating Yoshihide Suga on his election as
Japan's new prime minister.

Office spokesman Xavier Chang says the government is hoping that bilateral
ties will continue to grow stronger during the new Japanese leader's tenure.

According Chang, Suga has long been a supporter of Taiwan and as Japan's
chief Cabinet secretary has long expressed his support for Taiwan's
participation in international organizations.

The Presidential Office spokesman also says Taiwan will seek to deepen its
partnership with Japan in the region for the benefit of people of both
countries and to maintain regional peace, stability and prosperity.

The spokesman also conveyed President Tsai Ing-wen's thanks for the long-term
support for Taiwan shown by Suga's predecessor Shinzo Abe and her wishes for
his speedy recovery.

Abe announced his resignation last month, citing ill health.

Posted on 2020-09-17 09:17:06

The head of Libya's U.N.-supported government says he wants to hand over
power to a new administration in October amid talks on ending the country's
conflict.

Fayez Serraj made the announcement in a televised speech Wednesday night from
the capital, Tripoli.

A rift within the Tripoli-based government surfaced last month amid protests
over power cuts and corruption in the capital and other cities in western
Libya. There were similar demonstrations elsewhere in east and south Libya.

Libya's rival factions are expected to convene soon for peace talks. They
agreed earlier this month to hold elections within 18 months and appoint a
new government.

Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled
longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed.

The country has since split between rival east- and west-based
administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.

Posted on 2020-09-17 09:17:06

Tropical Storm Sally has begun to spread heavy rains into the U.S. Southeast
as it moves inland at a faster-than-expected pace.

The National Hurricane Center said yesterday afternoon that Sally has begun
drenching parts of eastern Alabama and western Georgia.

Meanwhile, life-threatening flooding is continuing over portions of the
Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama, hours after Sally crashed ashore as a
hurricane.

Sally had top sustained winds of 695 kph. Forecasters say its core will move
across southeastern Alabama during the night and over central Georgia
Thursday daytime before sweeping over South Carolina later that night.

As the storm continues to weaken, Sally is expected to become a tropical
depressionThursday morning.

Posted on 2020-09-17 09:17:06

The U.S. Congress is considering whether to expand measures aimed at
preventing sexual assault and harassment involving U.S. military personnel.

A proposal introduced yesterday comes amid a crescendo of calls for justice.
A congressional investigation is underwayinto an incident at Fort Hood in
Texas, where a soldier was slain.

The bill is named after the soldier, Vanessa Guillen, who the Army says was
killed by a fellow soldier. Guillen's family says the other solider harassed
her.

Holding up somber signs that read ``Military Sexual Assault Ends With Us,'' a
coalition of military sexual assault survivors, the Guillen family and their
attorney joined the members of Congress to present the bill at the U.S.
Capitol.

According to a Democratic politicians, women make up more than 60% of victims
in military cases of assault. Younger women of lower rank are most at risk.

Posted on 2020-09-17 09:17:06

The president of Cyprus says the European Union shouldn't discard imposing
tougher sanctions to get Turkey to give up an ``unlawful'' hydrocarbons
search in the eastern Mediterranean.

President Nicos Anastasiades said the EU should weigh using ``all means at
our disposal'' while responding to Turkey to avoid setting ``a double
standard.''

He was alluding to the 27-nation bloc's consensus to sanction Belarusian
officials for alleged election fraud and violence against protesters while
remaining split on whether to impose tougher sanctions on Turkey.

European Council President Charles Michel visited Cyprus on Wednesday. Michel
says the EU should back up calls for solidarity with Cyprus ``with words and
actions.''

A Greek-Turkish naval standoff began last month when Turkish research and
drill ships began searching for energy reserves in waters where Greece and
ethnically divided Cyprus claim exclusive rights.

The crisis prompted Greece to announce a major new arms shopping spree,
including French fighter jets and new frigates.

Posted on 2020-09-17 09:17:07

Madonna has announced she will direct a film about her own life and career.

The pop star will cowrite the film which is to chart her rise from Michigan,
to the slums of New York City, to global fame.

Madonna said the film would focus on music, and include favourites such as
Vogue and Like a Virgin.

The biopic will be made by Universal Pictures, although no casting or
production timeline has yet been announced. Madonna has, however, collected
the early stages of scripting on her Instagram account.

The star said the film will cover her journey through a range of emotions and
present the "struggle as an artist trying to survive in a man's world."

"I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an
artist, a musician, a dancer," she said, "a human being, trying to make her
way in this world."

Madonna added there would be no one better to tell her life story than her.

Posted on 2020-09-17 08:14:05

In news from and about this morning,

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that U-S Under Secretary of
State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Keith Krach, will
arrive in Taiwan later today for economic talks.

The ministry is describing Krach as the highest ranking U-S government
official to travel to Taiwan since 1979.

According to foreign ministry officials, the U-S delegation will be meeting
with government officials under the US-Taiwan Economic and Commercial
Dialogue tomorrow in Taipei.

Taiwan's delegation to the dialogue is likely to be headed by Vice Premier
Shen Rong-jin.

And the talks will be focusing on issues related to strengthening economic
cooperation between the two sides.

The U-S delegation will also include the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau
of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Robert Destro.

Krach and Destro are slated to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other
high-level government officials and will also attend a memorial service for
former President Lee Teng-hui on Saturday, before leaving Taiwan that same
day.

Posted on 2020-09-17 08:14:05

The Ministry of National Defense is describing foreign news reports of the
"imminent" U-S sale of sell several major weapons systems to Taiwan as "media
speculation."

The statement comes after a Reuters report cited sources in the U-S capital
as saying the Pentagon is moving through the export process to supply Taiwan
with seven types of weapons systems, including mines, cruise missiles and
drones.

The report cited an industry insider as saying U-S President Donald Trump is
slated to be briefed about the sale sometime this week by Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo.

And the report went on to claim that the U-S Congress is expected to be
notified within weeks.

However, defense officials here in Taiwan are not commenting on any pending
arms sales.

And they are only saying that the ministry "handles arms purchase deals that
are under evaluation or being negotiated, based on the principles of
confidentially and discretion" and it "does not discuss such deals publicly."

Posted on 2020-09-17 08:14:05

The Central Epidemic Command Center has reported one new coronavirus case,
bringing the total number of cases here in Taiwan since the pandemic began to
500.

Health officials say the latest patient is Philippine woman in her 30s who
arrived in Taiwan on September 13 for work purposes.

According to the epidemic command center, the woman was asymptomatic when she
arrived here, but was tested at the airport before being sent to a
government-designated quarantine center.

The results of that test came back positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday
and the woman is now in the hospital but has yet to show any symptoms of the
virus.

Posted on 2020-09-17 08:14:06

Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua says people arriving in Taiwan who bring no
more than 250 medical or non-medical grade face masks with them will not have
to declare the masks to customs or provide an import permit.

The statement comes after the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced that face
masks are being included in a list of goods subject to import controls, but
small quantities of up to 250 masks brought in by travelers will be exempt
from those controls.

According to Wang, the new policy has been finalized after consulting with
the Food and Drug Administration.

The F-D-A had previously required passengers bringing in medical-grade face
masks to obtain a medical device permit, regardless of the quantity.

The economics minister says the decision to allow small quantities of masks
to be brought in Taiwan without being declared is due to customs officials
having trouble distinguishing medical grade masks from non-medical ones.

Posted on 2020-09-17 08:14:06

Researchers at the Chang Gung University have announced the development of a
kit that can detect the potency of coronavirus antibodies.

The university's Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections says the kits
will help in the process of developing a vaccine for the disease.

According to the research center, identifying the potency of a person's
antibodies after they have been administered a vaccine is key to determining
the efficacy of the vaccine.

While the detection of neutralizing antibodies is particularly important, as
they reflect how well a person is protected from the disease.

Research center director, Shih Shin-ru, says current method of testing for
neutralizing antibodies takes five to seven days, while the newly developed
kit means results are available within two to three hours.

However, the university research center has not said how accurate the tests
are.

Posted on 2020-09-17 08:14:06

The Pingtung District Prosecutors' Office has released the captain of a
Taiwan-registered fishing boat accused of attempting to smuggle over 30
Vietnamese nationals into Taiwan on 100,000 N-T bail.

The captain of the "Jin Shun Man 1" was ordered released by the county's
district court despite prosecutors filed a motion to detain him on charges of
human trafficking.

Coast Guard personnel boarded the fishing boat in waters off the Hengchun
Peninsula early Tuesday and found 27 Vietnamese nationals on the vessel,
while several others jumped overboard in order to avoid being taken into
custody.

A total of 33 Vietnamese nationals have now been detained, after five, who
initially evaded capture earlier this week, were arrested in Kenting.

However, the Coast Guard Administration says it is still searching for three
other Vietnamese nationals who were on the fishing boat.

Officials say the Vietnamese nationals were transferred to the Taiwanese
fishing boat from a China-registered vessel, while it was in Chinese waters.

Posted on 2020-09-17 08:14:06

Transport Minister Lin Chia-lung says government agencies are slated to hold
talks regarding the possible removal of all motorcycle parking spaces from
pedestrian sidewalks.

The talks come as the government proposes amendments to the Notes to the
Design Standards of Urban Roads and Accessory Work.

And Lin says that amendment was proposed by the Ministry of the Interior in
an effort to revise road design standards that will ensure that
sidewalks are designated as "pedestrian only" areas that are safe to walk on.

According to the transport minister, the issue was initially raised in order
to tackle problems resulting from the overcrowding of sidewalks by parked
motorcycles.

However, the proposal is meeting with some opposition at local government
levels, with transportation offices arguing that if motorcycles are banned
from parking on sidewalks, then more road-side parking spaces must first be
made available.

Posted on 2020-09-17 08:14:06

And,

Local singer and actor Alien Huang has died.

He was 36.

The Taipei City Police Department says he was found dead at his home in the
city's Beitou District by his father, who went to check on him after being
unable to reach him by telephone.

According to police, Huang's body, which was discovered outside the bathroom,
showed no signs of physical struggle and he appeared to have been dead for
some time.

No drugs or alcohol were found at the scene.

Huang, who was also known by the nickname "little ghost," was a graduate of
Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School and received his first big break in 2002, as a
member of the shortlived boy band H-C-3.

He former his own band, Cosmo in 2003, before transitioning into acting roles
in television dramas.

Huang also hosted variety shows and earned Golden Bell Award nominations in
2015 and 2019 for television production.

An investigation is ongoing into the cause of death.

Posted on 2020-09-16 19:12:05

A pharmacy chain store is being investigated, after allegations that it sold
face masks made in the Philippines.

A customer purchased 5 packages of masks at a Great Tree Pharmacy in Taipei
in August, only to find that four of them contained masks manufactured in the
Philippines.

Pharmacy representatives say staff members accidentally mixed masks for their
own use in with customer's masks.

The Taipei City Department of Health says the situation appears to be an
isolated incident, but they are working with authorities to determine if this
has occured elsewhere.

Officials say the pharmacy may face fines of up to $2-million NT.

(NS)

Posted on 2020-09-16 19:12:12

TV celebrity and movie actor Huang Hong-sheng has died abruptly.

He was 36.

Huang's father found him on the floor outside the bathroom this morning with
a small amount of blood from his nose and mouth.

Taipei police say Huang returned home last night, and no drugs or alcohol
were found on-site.

Police are still investigating the cause of death, though some media reports
claim he slipped and fell.

Huang, nicknamed "Little Ghost," started his career 19 years ago as a singer
and became a TV show host in 2005.

He rose steadily to fame with his roles in TV dramas and movies such as "Din
Tao: Leader of the Parade."

Many of his peers in the entertainment business have left messages of
condolence on his Facebook.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-16 19:12:12

Two Taiwanese businesses are helping Saint Lucia tackle the COVID-19 pandemic
and its economic fallout.

The firms are donating funds and calling for the general public to show their
support for the Caribbean ally.

Speaking at the St. Lucian Embassy in Taipei, the CEO of Altamoda Cosmetics
Group presented a check for $2.2 million NT to Ambassador Edwin Laurent, and
thanked his country for its support of Taiwan's inclusion in international
organizations.

Meanwhile, G-Fun Industrial Corporporation contributed 100 washable and
reusable personal protective equipment medical gowns.

To date, Saint Lucia has recorded 27 confirmed COVID-19 infections.

Taiwan has already donated medical equipment and medicines to the country.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-16 19:12:12

North Korea may soon conduct its first underwater-launched ballistic missile
test in about a year.

A top South Korean military official says North Korea has been repairing
recent typhoon damage at its northeastern Sinpo shipyard, a place where it
builds submarines.

He says once the repairs are complete, there is a chance the North will carry
out a submarine-launched ballistic missile test.

He says South Korea's military is keeping a close watch on developments there.

In recent years, North Korea has been pushing hard to acquire the ability to
launch missiles from submarines.

Experts say this is a worrying development because such weapons are difficult
to detect before launch.

A test of an underwater-launched missile by North Korea last October was the
first of its kind in three years, and the most provocative weapons test since
North Korea entered nuclear negotiations with the U.S. in 2018.

Posted on 2020-09-16 19:12:12

Authorities in western Germany have suspended 29 police officers suspected of
sharing far-right propaganda in WhatsApp groups.

North Rhine-Westphalia state officials say investigators searched 34
locations, including police stations and private apartments, in connection
with the case.

The state interior minister says the material that was shared included ``the
most foul and repugnant neo-Nazi, racist and anti-refugee agitation,'' adding
that the case left him ``speechless.''

The material was exchanged in at least five WhatsApp groups used entirely or
largely by police officers.

The oldest group was created in 2015, while the newest was set up a few weeks
ago.

Posted on 2020-09-16 17:06:05

Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua says Taiwan welcomes a potential visit by a
top US state official.

Media reports claim that US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth,
Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach could visit Taiwan this week to kick
off trade talks.

While the government has denied that Krach is arriving any time soon, Wang
says the administration is looking forward to his visit.

She says Krach would be the second high-level US official to visit Taiwan in
recent months, showing the increasingly close ties between Taipei and
Washington.

She adds that economic and commercial dialogue will deepen bilateral trade
cooperation.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-16 17:06:06

A Chinese-born adviser to an Australian lawmaker has launched a
constitutional challenge in Australia's highest court, against the nation's
laws that ban covert foreign interference in domestic politics.

Court documents show John Shi-sheng Zhang is also challenging the validity of
search warrants, executed by police at his Sydney home and offices in June,
as part of an investigation into illegal foreign interference.

Zhang is an adviser to a New South Wales state lawmaker, whose membership of
the opposition Labor Party was suspended after the raids.

Zhang argues that the laws burden free speech, a right long recognized in
Australia, but without the direct guarantee in the U.S. First Amendment.

The case will likely be listed for its first preliminary hearing before a
judge within weeks.

Posted on 2020-09-16 17:06:06

Vietnam will resume international commercial flights connecting to several
Asian destinations starting Friday.

The flights, however, are reserved for Vietnamese nationals, diplomats, and
others, such as business travelers.

They are not yet available for tourists.

The government said flights connecting Hanoi and Ho-Chi-Minh City to
destinations in South Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan, will operate weekly.

Flights connecting Vietnam's two largest cities with Cambodia and Laos will
resume next week.

And passengers must have had a recent negative coronavirus test, and will be
quarantined on arrival.

Vietnam's most recent outbreak in the city of Da Nang killed 35 people but no
new cases have been reported for two weeks.

Posted on 2020-09-16 17:06:06

Hurricane Sally has strengthened into a powerful Category 2 hurricane.

It is currently veering eastward toward potential landfall between the
Florida Panhandle and Mobile Bay.

The National Hurricane Center says that the storm's sustained winds have
increased to over 160 kilometers per hour, but creeping forward at a mere 3
kilometers per hour.

The latest forecast track has the hurricane making landfall later today, on
Wednesday morning U.S. Time.

Posted on 2020-09-16 16:05:05

The CECC has decided to push back new rules on facemask markings.

The Central Epidemic Command Center had originally mandated that Taiwan-made
medical-grade facemasks must have the icons MD and MIT stamped on them
starting tomorrow.

However, in consideration of the time needed to adjust manufacturing
equipment, the new requirement will now go into effect on next Thursday
instead.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-16 16:05:05

A smaller but in-person International Travel Fair is scheduled to kick off
October 30th.

Organizers say they've decided to hold the biggest annual event in the
tourism sector as usual to give the industry a much-needed boost.

But some countries and tourism operators won't be able to come due to the
coronavirus pandemic.

The Japanese pavilion will only have 45 stalls, a big drop from last year's
150, and the Korean pavilion will just see 20 stalls.

Organizers say there will be 1-thousand stalls in total from home and abroad
at this year's I-T-F.

The trade show, which runs from October 30 to November 2nd at Taipei Nan-gang
Exhibition Hall, also features speeches for travel experts to share their
experiences.

An online I-T-F will coincide with the real exhibition as well.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-16 16:05:05

The Israeli military has struck Hamas militant sites in the Gaza Strip, in
response to rocket fire toward Israel the previous night.

And Israel's strike coincided with the signing of normalization agreements
between Israel and two Arab countries at the White House.

The exchange of attacks in the Middle East offered a stark reminder, that the
festive events in Washington would likely do little to change Israel's most
pressing conflict next door.

The military said it struck about 10 sites belonging to Gaza's militant Hamas
rulers, and two Israelis were lightly wounded.

The Islamic militant group Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, when it seized
power from the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority.

Israel and Egypt have also imposed a crippling blockade on the coastal
territory, fighting three wars and several smaller skirmishes since then.

Posted on 2020-09-16 14:12:05

The number of furloughed workers is on the rise again.

According to the Ministry of Labor's latest figures, there are now 16,865
employees nationwide on unpaid leave programs.

That's up over 1500 from the week before.

The Ministry attributes the increase to continued global travel restrictions,
which is impacting the tourism and transport sectors.

However, it does note that the manufacturing industry has recovered somewhat,
with some companies there ending their furlough programs.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-16 14:12:05

The government has decided to relax restrictions on small amounts of
facemasks being brought into the country.

The Ministries of Economic Affairs and of Health and Welfare have decided
that people who bring in 250 masks or fewer into Taiwan do not need to report
them or seek prior approval.

This applies to both medical and non-medical-grade masks.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-16 14:12:05

Officials are going after the assets of a Chiayi quarantine violator.

After returning to Taiwan in February, the man left the house during his
mandatory quarantine period.

He was fined 100 thousand NT by Chiayi authorities, but has failed to pay.

Administrative enforcement officials have now seized photography equipment
owned by the man, which will be auctioned off early next month to cover the
fine.

If he pays before the auction is held, he can get his equipment back.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-16 14:12:06

Pitbulls could soon be banned in Taiwan.

With continued reports of the breed attacking humans or other dogs, the
Council of Agriculture is considering a ban on the import, export, or
breeding of pitbulls and their mixes.

Sale of pitbulls would also be barred.

The new rules could be published by the end of the month at the earliest.

According to pet registration information, there are currently about 1
thousand pitbulls in Taiwan, with an unknown number at breeders or pet
stores.

Pitbull owners must keep their dogs on leashes of no longer than 1.5 meters,
and wear muzzles that do not restrict their breathing.

Violators could be fined up to 150 thousand NT.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-16 14:12:06

Taiwan shares were one pecent higher today with the Taiex rising 131 points
to end the session at 12-thousand 976.

The turnover was 206.3 billion NT.

Posted on 2020-09-16 14:12:06

In world news....

Yoshihide Suga has been formally elected Japan's prime minister in a
parliamentary vote.

Suga was long the right-hand man to his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, who was
Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

Abe resigned earlier in the day and has pledged his support to the new
government.

Suga is to launch his own Cabinet later today.

He has said he will pursue Abe's unfinished policies, and that his top
priorities will be fighting the coronavirus and turning around an economy
battered by the pandemic.

Posted on 2020-09-16 14:12:06

In U.S. news....

Joe Biden makes his first trip to Florida as the Democratic party's
presidential nominee, appealing to Hispanic voters in the state.

AP correspondent Tim Maguire reports.

Posted on 2020-09-16 14:12:06

A biopic about Madonna has found a uniquely qualified director: Madonna,
herself.

Universal Pictures has announced that the studio is developing an untitled
film about the pop star that Madonna will direct and co-write with "Juno''
writer Diablo Cody.

Madonna said she wants the film to convey he incredible journey that life has
taken her on as an artist, a musician, a dancer - a human being, trying to
make her way in this world.

Madonna, whose last album was 2019's "Madame X,'' has sold 335 million
records worldwide in her career.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:06

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have signed a historic agreement with
Israel to normalize relations after decades of isolating the Jewish state.

The deal, brokered by the U.S. Trump administration, is also a major foriegn
policy coup just ahead of the country's presidential election in November.

Nick Harper reports from Washington.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:06

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fired two rockets into Israel,
wounding two people.

The attack was apparently timed to coincide with the signing of the
aforementioned normalization agreements between Israel and two Arab nations
at the U.S. White House yesterday.

The Israeli military said one rocket was intercepted by air defenses while
the other left two with injuries.

Palestinians oppose Israel's agreements with the United Arab Emirates and
Bahrain, viewing them as a betrayal of their cause by the Arab countries.

The Islamic militant group Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, when it seized
power from the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority. Israel and Egypt
have imposed a crippling blockade on the coastal territory since then.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:06

Ethiopia has started repatriating its stranded citizens in Saudi Arabia due
to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the next three weeks at least it is expected 1,440 people will be
brought home.

The first group of 300 will arrive on Wednesday.

Coletta Wanjohi reports from Addis Ababa:

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:06

The European Union has said it is open to playing a bigger role in rebuilding
and running the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.

It comes as German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was willing to admit
hundreds of refugees whose makeshift homes were destroyed in last week's
fire.

Lucy Hough has more from Brussels.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:07

Poland's health minister says the government is trying to secure more flu
vaccines due to a national shortage fueled by higher demand during the
coronavirus pandemic.

Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said Tuesday that Poland generally has very
low flu vaccinations rates and is seeing a vaccine shortage now because
orders for this fall and winter were based on last year's demand.

He told local Radio Zet that Poland is being `trapped by the low vaccination
rate of last year.``

Health experts are stressing that the seasonal influenza vaccine is
especially important this year because reducing the number of flu cases would
help preserve medical resources for treating COVID-19 patients.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:07

The World Trade Organization has ruled that US tariffs on Chinese goods
violate trade laws.

The decision from the international body vindicates China, but the United
States is expected to veto the ruling.

Here's US correspondent Liling Tan with the details.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:07

The family of an Black woman in the U.S. shot dead by police in her own home,
is to get a $12 million settlement from the city of Louisville in Kentucky.

Breonna Taylor was killed in March.

Sarah Walton reports.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:07

West African leaders now say they're willing to wait 18 months for Mali to
hold a new election after initially insisting the vote must take place within
a year.

The announcement came yesterday after a day-long meeting in Ghana between six
West African presidents and officials from Mali's ruling junta.

The junta failed to announce a civilian leader to lead the country back to
democracy after a coup in August, which a 15-nation regional bloc had
demanded.

Ghana's president warned yesterday that ``terrorists are taking advantage of
the situation in Mali to flex their muscles even more.''ali contributed.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:07

Black actor John Boyega has stepped down from his role as a global ambassador
for perfume brand Jo Malone after the company decided to hire a Chinese actor
to replace him in an ad he created.

The “Star Wars” star wrote yesterday on Twitter that the brand’s decision
to replace his campaign in China without either his consent or prior notice,
was wrong.

Jo Malone said replacing Boyega with Chinese star Liu Haoran was a misstep.
It has removed the ad and apologized.

Boyega said the film celebrated his personal story, and while many brands use
a variety of global and local ambassadors, trading out his culture is not
something he can condone.

Boyega and other non-white characters were previously removed or diminished
from a Chinese poster for the Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Posted on 2020-09-16 07:21:07

Posted on 2020-09-15 17:06:05

Government inspections have found several banks in Taipei to be in violation
of labor laws.

The city's Department of Labor says it conducted checks in May after
receiving complaints alleging that bank staff have been forced to work
overtime without proper compensation to handle an influx of coronavirus
relief applications.

Labor officials say all of the 6 financial institutions it inspected were
found to be breaking regulations

The inspectors say some of the employees they interviewed worked over 12
hours a day, including on Sundays.

Some also reported clocking over 61 hours of overtime in a month.

The department says if the labor violations are confirmed, banks could face
up to $1-million NT in fines.

(NS)

Posted on 2020-09-15 17:06:05

Prices of garlic, an indispensable ingredient in local dishes, have continued
to soar.

Garlic cloves are sold at some 300 NT a kilogram at Taipei Agricultural
Products wholesale market today, that's three times the price in early June.

The Council of Agriculture explains that Taiwan relies on imported garlic
from Egypt, Spain and Argentina during summer and autumn as locally grown
garlic is usually sold out by the Dragon Boat Festival in June.

However, the imported garlic in May was found to have too much dirt on it,
which violated Taiwan's rules, and thus not allowed to enter the country.

That means the amount of imported garlic has dropped to 2-thousand 400 metric
tons over the past three and a half months, only 20-percent of the amount
last year.

As complaints grow, the C-O-A has shipped seven containers of garlic, each
weighing 20 metric tons, to Southeast Asia to be cleaned up and sent back to
Taiwan.

C-O-A officials say with more clean garlic entering Taiwan, prices should go
down soon.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-15 17:06:05

In Zimbabwe, human rights groups are warning that critics of their President
Emmerson Mnangagwa's government are finding themselves thrown in jail and
denied bail.

They also claim that some government opponents have been abducted and
tortured.

Zimbabwe's deteriorating economy and reports of alleged corruption, involving
the procurement of COVID-19 drugs and equipment, have stoked anger against a
government that promised reform and prosperity when it took power in 2017.

Human rights defenders say, it appears the government is using restrictions
imposed to combat COVID-19, in order to suppress political criticism.

Opposition officials, human rights groups, and some analysts accuse Mnangagwa
of abusing the rights of critics, using tactics as harsh as his predecessor,
the late Robert Mugabe.

Posted on 2020-09-15 17:06:05

The U.N. migration agency says that a boat carrying migrants bound for Europe
capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya yesterday.

At least two dozen people drowned, or are missing and presumed dead.

Officials say that Libya's coast guard intercepted three boats, and one of
them had capsized.

The tragedy came after a capsizing in August left at least 45 people drowned
or were presumed dead, marking the largest number of fatalities in a single
shipwreck off the coast of the North African country.

Posted on 2020-09-15 17:06:06

A major search-and-rescue operation was launched overnight, after a migrant
smuggling boat sank off the southern Greek island of Crete.

The search continued today, with survivors unable to say how many people had
originally been on board, and whether there were people still missing.

Greece's coast guard said one more person had been rescued in the early hours
of Tuesday, bringing the total number of people saved to 57.

However, three bodies, those of two children and a woman, were recovered from
the sea last night.

Greece remains one of the main entry points into the European Union for
asylum-seekers and migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

Posted on 2020-09-15 17:06:06

An Indonesian patrol ship has confronted a Chinese coast guard vessel that
spent almost three days in waters where Indonesia claims economic rights.

The agency sent a patrol ship and the vessels communicated to affirm their
position and their nation's claims to the area.

An agency official says the Chinese ship left Monday morning, and Indonesia
has asked the Chinese Embassy to explain what it was doing there.

Indonesia does not have a territorial claim to the South China Sea, but a
section of Indonesia's exclusive economic zone that includes natural gas
fields lies within China's "nine-dash line."

Posted on 2020-09-15 16:06:05

MOFA is donating half a million medical facemasks to Australia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the contribution is to help the country
fight off its second wave of coronavirus, which is spreading quickly in
certain states.

The masks have already arrived in Australia, as part of the "Taiwan is
Helping" campaign.

MOFA says Taiwan and Australia share many values, and Australia has stood up
for Taiwan many times on the international stage.

The ministry says Taipei hopes to further strengthen medical and
biotechnology ties with Canberra in the future.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 16:06:05

Former president Ma Ying-jeou has been cleared of charges from the Sunflower
Movement.

Some members of the movement were hurt when they were forcibly removed by
police from a sit-in at the Executive Yuan.

They had sued Ma, former premier Jiang Yi-huah, and other officials for
attempted homicide, assault, and excessive use of force.

The Taipei District Court has now ruled in favor of Ma and the other
defendents, but the case can still be appealed.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 16:06:05

The government has announced the establishment of an information security
excellence center.

The Executive Yuan is planning to invest 818 million NT in this center over
the next two years.

A government spokesperson says the center aims to be one of the best in Asia
for training top infosec talent and technological innovation.

The budget for the center still requires legislative approval.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 16:06:05

The MOTC has updated its traffic monitoring app ahead of the upcoming
holidays.

With two back to back long weekends, vacationers are expected to hit the road
in huge numbers.

This is likely to cause jams on National Freeway Number 5, connection
northern Taiwan with Yilan and Hualien.

The updated app should give drivers a better idea of conditions on that
roadway, as well as offer alternate route suggestions.

Travel on Freeway 5 has been 20 percent higher than normal this summer,
increasing to 24 percent on weekend.

The Freeway Bureau will also be updating its Facebook page over the long
weekends to give followers the latest traffic conditions.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 16:06:06

The U.S. has issued a new advisory warning against travel to mainland China
and Hong Kong, citing the risk of, quote, "arbitrary enforcement of local
laws."

The advisory warned U.S. citizens that China imposes "arbitrary detention and
exit bans" to compel cooperation with investigations, influence civil
disputes, and gain leverage over foreign governments.

In Hong Kong, it says that China unilaterally and arbitrarily exercises
police and security power.

The advisory adds that new legislation also covers offenses committed by
non-Hong Kong residents, possibly subjecting U.S. citizens who have
criticized China to a heightened risk of , prosecution, detention, expulsion.

When in Hong Kong, U.S. citizens are strongly cautioned to be aware of their
surroundings and avoid demonstrations.

Posted on 2020-09-15 16:06:06

A fire has broken out in a downtown Beirut building near the city's port
where an explosion last month killed and wounded many.

It was the third fire in the area within a week, as there were two fires last
week at the port of Beirut, including a huge one that raised panic among
residents.

It was not immediately clear what caused Tuesday's fire, in the building that
was the work of a late Iraq-born British architect.

The building was still under construction, and sits on the main road that
passes by the port.

Lebanon is still gripped by an economic crisis and financial collapse, blamed
on decades of mismanagement and corruption by an entrenched political class.

Posted on 2020-09-15 16:06:06

Official figures show that unemployment in the U.K. edged up in July even
though large sections of the British economy reopened after the coronavirus
lockdown.

The 104,000 rise in the number of people unemployed during the three-month
period to July raised the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points to 4.1%,
the biggest increase in the rate since the pandemic emerged.

Analysts worry that unemployment will start to rise more markedly in the
coming months, as a salary-support government package, which has encouraged
over a million companies to keep nearly 10 million employees on payroll
rather than fire them, is coming to an end.

Posted on 2020-09-15 15:11:05

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declined to give any details about the
U.S. Under Secretary of State's possible visit to Taiwan.

Local media have reported that Keith Krach, Under Secretary of State for
Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, is scheduled to travel to
Taiwan September 17 to 19.

The report also said that Vice Premier Shen Rong-jin will represent Taiwan to
conduct talks with Krach, which will focus on building supply chains,
increasing investment and energy issues.

MOFA says today that the government is making all the necessary preparations
but as the United States has not announced it, nothing is certain right now.

MOFA says it'll publicize Krach's visit at an optimal time.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-15 15:11:05

Somaliland's Parliament has officially declared support for the Taiwan
Relations Act.

The self-declared state's envoy to Taiwan stated on social media today that
Somaliland's parliament backs deepening relations between the two sides.

The legislative body also announced plans to form the Formosa Club, with the
aim of promoting exchanges between Taiwan and African countries.

Taiwan's representative office in Somaliland was formally opened in August,
while the Somaliland office in Taiwan opened earlier this month.

(NS)

Posted on 2020-09-15 15:11:05

The KMT says has stressed that the cross-straits interactions can be
multi-layered and multi-channeled, adding that the Straits Forum is just one
part of them.

The opposition party decided yesterday not to join the Forum a week after
announcing it's sending a delegation there.

KMT chairman Johnny Chiang says today that the current bilateral status is
too complicated and sensitive for his party to engage in effective
communications, so they decided to wait.

On questions regarding former acting KMT chairman Lin Rong-de's going to the
Forum, Chiang says Lin is a businessman and it's only natural that he cares a
lot about Taiwanese businessmen's benefits in China.

As the Forum aims to enhance cultural and business interactions, Chiang says
Lin's trip is reasonable.

But he also wants to make it clear that Lin does not represent the KMT.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-15 15:11:05

South Korea's daily coronavirus tally has stayed in the low 100s for a third
consecutive day, maintaining a downward trajectory.

The 106 cases added today brought the country's total to 22,391, including
367 deaths.

South Korea's daily jump has remained in triple digits for more than a month,
but its caseload has recently gradually slowed down in the wake of stringent
social distancing rules.

The government on Monday relaxed physical distancing guidelines in the
greater Seoul area, the heart of a recent viral resurgence.

Posted on 2020-09-15 15:11:06

Hurricane Paulette knocked down trees and power lines across Bermuda as it
made a rare landfall in the wealthy British territory and strengthened into a
Category 2 storm while still over the island.

Government officials said in a press conference that there were no reports of
deaths, injuries or serious property damage and noted that two boys were born
at the height of the storm.

Fewer than 10 hurricanes have made landfall on the tiny island in the middle
of the Atlantic since the National Hurricane Center began tracking such
disasters in the 1850s.

Paulette was moving away to the north-northeast with maximum sustained winds
of 165 kph.

Posted on 2020-09-15 14:05:05

KMT chair Johnny Chiang says the party's food safety petition has met its
first-stage goal.

The party launched a signature drive in all 22 cities and counties this
weekend to gather support for their proposed public vote on whether
ractopamine meat products should be allowed into Taiwan.

Chiang says the party gathered more than enough signatures for the first
phase, and is now calling on the Central Election Commission to quickly
review the petition.

He adds that the CEC shouldn't have any political considerations as it does
so, saying food safety is not a party issue.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 14:05:05

KMT lawmakers are calling for speedy review of bills to help refugees from
Hong Kong.

Five Hong Kongers have been detained in Kaohsiung since they were caught in
waters off the Dongsha Islands in July.

They are supposedly seeking political asylum in Taiwan.

KMT lawmakers say it is the party's belief that Taiwan should help protect
Hong Kongers here, and are urging all lawmakers to craft legislation to give
them concrete safeguards.

They hope to give this legislation priority in the upcoming legislative
session.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 14:05:05

The coast guard has stopped a ship from bringing illegal Vietnamese migrants
into the country.

Some 30 Vietnamese were on the fishing boat when it was stopped in waters off
of Kenting.

The Vietnamese jumped overboard trying to escape arrest.

The Coast Guard managed to pull 22 from the water, and are searching for the
remainder.

Rescue personnel and private vehicles have been called in to assist with the
search.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 14:05:05

Taoyuan Mayor Zheng Wen-can admits that he has thought about running for
Presidency.

Speaking on a radio show today, Zheng says he's aware that some dreams don't
come true, so he is not dwelling on it.

Zheng has consistently been ranked as one of the most popular DPP
politicians, and local media have speculated that he'll be favored for the
top office in 2024.

This is the first time that he has openly admitted to having considered the
idea.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-15 14:05:06

President Donald Trump is set to preside over the signing of two historic
diplomatic deals between Israel and two Gulf Arab nations.

The deals, one between Israel and the U.A.E., and the other between Israel
and Bahrain, could herald a dramatic shift in Middle East power dynamics.

Trump will host more than 700 guests on the South Lawn to witness the sealing
of the agreements.

The Tuesday ceremony at the White House is aimed at showcasing presidential
statesmanship ahead of November's election.

The agreements won't end active wars, but will formalize the normalization of
the Jewish state's already warming relations with the two countries, and may
pave the way for a broader Arab-Israeli rapprochement, after decades of
enmity.

Posted on 2020-09-15 14:05:06

A nurse at an immigration detention center in Georgia says authorities have
performed questionable hysterectomies, refused to test detainees for
COVID-19, and shredded medical records.

Advocacy group Project South has filed a complaint with the Homeland Security
Department's internal watchdog, that relies heavily on the nurse's words.

She says she saw a sick-call nurse shred a box of detainee complaints without
looking at them.

She adds that the facility has declined to use two rapid-testing COVID-19
machines that I.C.E. purchased for $14,000 each, and has not trained any
medical staff in their use.

And one gynecologist working outside the facility has reportedly performed
hysterectomies on, quote, "just about everybody he sees".

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it will defer to the Homeland
Security inspector general.

Posted on 2020-09-15 14:05:06

India has reported its lowest daily jump in new coronavirus infections in a
week, logging another 83,800 infections in the past 24 hours.

The Health Ministry on Tuesday also reported 1,054 deaths, driving total
fatalities up to 80,776 since the pandemic began.

With 4.93 million confirmed infections, India has reported the second most
cases in the world behind the United States.

But it also has the highest number of recovered patients in the world,
according to Johns Hopkins University.

According to India's Health Ministry, the country's recovery rate stands at
77.8%, and nearly 3.8 million people have recovered from the virus so far.

Posted on 2020-09-15 13:06:05

Several Taiwan agriculture groups are denying any involvement in an upcoming
cross-strait forum.

Media reports claim that the Straits Forum website had listed the groups as
sponsors of the event.

The National Fishermen's Association Taiwan, ROC, says it hasn't been invited
to the event since 2013, and even then they say they merely attended, they
did not sponsor it.

The Taiwan Joint Irrigation Association says it has not received an
invitation in three years, while the National Farmers' Association, ROC
claims that it has never received an invite.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 13:06:05

Health minister Chen Shih-chung says it is still too early to talk about
raising premiums for the health insurance system.

Reports claim that the system's finances are rapidly shrinking, and there may
be only one and a half month's worth of buffer left by next year.

Media reports say this may necessitate a swift increase in the premiums that
citizens pay.

In response, Chen says that they still haven't figured out next year's
expenditures, much less its income.

He says system administrators will discuss any potential changes to the
system's finances, and any adjustments will be decided through professional
evaluation.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 13:06:05

Kaohsiung's MRT is venturing into the realm of entertainment to attract more
customers.

Kaohsiung Metro says it has started selling movie tickets and coupons for
popular eateries at seven of its stations, including the Formosa Boulevard
and the Central Park stations.

The company says the new service is meant to satisfy the city dwellers'
various needs.

Meanwhile, iPass Corporation announces that starting tomorrow, iPass holders
can use their value-added cards to pay for purchases at all 31 Taiwan
Railways Administration's stores.

To celebrate this new service, all TRA lunch boxes will be 10-percent off for
one month, for those who use iPass.

(JL)

Posted on 2020-09-15 13:06:05

The annual Sun Moon Lake swimming event is going ahead.

Nantou county government organizers have announced that the competition will
go forward, despite concerns about coronavirus.

However, measures will be taken to minimize possible infection.

Competitors will be required to wear a facemask when out of the water.

Organizers will space out swimmers entering the lake, and will give more time
overall for everyone to get in to start the race.

Swimmers who violate mask or social distancing rules will be fined.

(EG)

Posted on 2020-09-15 13:06:06

And in the U.S.,

President Donald Trump has issued an emergency declaration for Alabama, as
Hurricane Sally approaches.

Monday's action authorizes federal emergency officials to organize relief
efforts and provide emergency assistance.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey sought the presidential declaration, after the
National Weather Service warned of "dangerous and potentially historic
flooding."

The weather service forecast that waters could rise as much as 9 feet above
ground in large parts of the Mobile metro area.

With a population of 400,000 people, it is among the largest metro areas
along the Gulf Coast, between New Orleans and Tampa, Florida.

Sally is one of five storms churning simultaneously in the Atlantic.

Posted on 2020-09-15 13:06:06

Elsewhere in the U.S.,

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration
for the ongoing wildfires in the state.

Brown made the request Monday, saying it would bring much needed resources to
Oregon's response and recovery efforts.

The request includes additional communications resources, damage assessment
teams, search and rescue support, debris management, shelter, and medical
assistance.

Individual assistance for the counties and tribes was also included in the
request.

A federal emergency declaration was granted for the state last week.

Posted on 2020-09-15 09:08:05

Greek authorities say three people have died and 56 have been rescued from
the sea after a vessel carrying migrants sank off the southern island of
Crete.

The sinking prompted a large air and sea rescue operation.

Efforts continued into Monday evening to locate other people who might be in
the water.

The coast guard said it was unclear whether anybody was missing, as the
survivors were not in a position to give accurate numbers of how many had
been on board.

A Greek naval frigate and an air force helicopter were taking part in the
search, together with two coast guard boats and three merchant ships.

Posted on 2020-09-15 09:08:06

President Donald Trump is at odds with opponent Joe Biden and others over the
cause of wildfires burning along the U.S. West Coast.

The AP's Ed Donahue reports.

Posted on 2020-09-15 09:08:06

The United Nations has enlisted a slew of celebrities including multi-Grammy
winner Beyonce, actor Don Cheadle and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala
Yousafzai for a film promoting actions to tackle the world's biggest issues.

The 30-minute film entitled ``Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent
Times'' is set for broadcast globally, and will premiere on the UN YouTube
channel on Sept. 19 at 09:00 EDT.

The U.N. said the film sets out the actions needed to build a better world as
the coronavirus pandemic threatens global progress to end extreme poverty,
achieve gender equality, promote human rights, tackle injustice and address
climate change.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Deputy Secretary-General Amina
Mohammed also appear in the film.

And the U.N. said Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts will host a radio
broadcast and podcast version of the show.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:31:06

U.S. Federal officials say about 500,000 counterfeit N95 respirator masks
have been seized in Chicago by Customs and Border Protection officers.

The agency says the shipment of masks from China were seized Sept. 10 at
O'Hare International Airport.

Officials say the shipment was headed to a company in Manalapan, New Jersey.

N95 masks are used to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Thirty of the
masks were sent to a testing facility where it was determined that 10% of the
respirators tested had a filter efficiency rating below 95%.

A Centers for Disease Control port director said the masks did not meet the
safety standards outlined by the CDC, which puts the public at risk,
jeopardizing the health and well-being of everyone.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:31:06

A police officer in Pennsylvania fatally shot a man with a knife during a
domestic disturbance call, leading to street protests and vandalism.

Police in Lancaster posted the officer's body camera video on social media.
It showed 27-year-old Ricardo Munoz chasing the officer with a knife.

Hundreds of people protested outside the police station at the heart of
Pennsylvania Amish country. His sister says Munoz was mentally ill. He was
also facing charges in a stabbing case from last year.

Police used tear gas early yesterday morning on crowds, saying protesters
threw things at officers and damaged government buildings and property.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:31:06

Mayor of Rochester, New York, Lovely Warren, has fired the police chief and
suspended her top lawyer and communications director in the continuing
upheaval over the suffocation death of Daniel Prude.

Warren said the case has shown that there is a pervasive problem in the
Rochester Police Department, one that views everything through the eyes of
the badge.

Mr. Prude's death was not taken as seriously as it should have been by those
who reviewd the case, she added.

Officers found Prude running naked down the street in March, handcuffed him
and put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting, then held him down
for about two minutes until he stopped breathing. He died a week later after
he was taken off life support.

His death has sparked nearly two weeks of nightly protests and calls for
Warren's resignation after his relatives released police body camera footage
and written reports they obtained through a public records request.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:31:06

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says his plan to unilaterally rewrite
Britain's Brexit divorce deal with the European Union is a necessary
insurance policy against the bloc's unreasonable behavior.

Johnson said a planned law designed to override portions of the Brexit
withdrawal agreement was needed because the EU might ``go to extreme and
unreasonable lengths'' against Britain.

EU leaders are outraged at the prime minister's proposal, which the British
government accepts would breach an international treaty.

Johnson's former attorney general joined a growing number of once-loyal
lawmakers condemning the contentious move.

The Internal Market Bill passed its first parliamentary test early this
morning, whenas MPs voted on it at 10pm British Summer Time.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:31:07

Venezuela's chief prosecutor says an accused U.S. spy recently captured
inside the Caribbean nation was plotting to sabotage oil refineries and
electrical services.

Tarek William Saab on Monday said Matthew John Heath had help from three
Venezuelan conspirators.

Heath is accused of entering Venezuela illegally, Saab said, adding that he
didn't have a passport but rather had a copy of it hidden in one of his
shoes. The three Venezuelans accused of conspiring with Heath include a
military officer, who helped him enter from Colombia.

President Nicolas Maduro announced the capture days earlier, saying the
suspected mercenary was a U.S. Marine, who has worked for the CIA in Iraq.

The prosecutor appeared on state TV and showed pictures of equipment
allegedly seized from him, including a grenade launcher, plastic explosives
and a bag of U.S. dollars.

U.S. authorities have not commented on the case.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:05

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The K-M-T has announced that it will not be sending an official delegation to
this week's Straits Forum in Xiamen, due what the party is describing as
"inappropriate comments by a Chinese state-owned broadcaster."

According to K-M-T Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia
Wang, "the overall atmosphere is now unfit for cross-strait dialogue and the
party will no longer participate in the forum as a political party."

Wang also says "the cross-strait situation is complicated and any
inappropriate comments or actions can seriously harm the hard-earned goodwill
and mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait."

However, Wang says while no official delegation will be sent to Xiamen, the
K-M-T will not stop individual party members from attending the forum in a
private capacity.

The statements come days after China Central Television claimed that former
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng would be heading the K-M-T's delegation to
the forum "to plead for peace."

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:05

The Central Epidemic Command Center has confirmed a new coronavirus case,
bringing the total number of cases here in Taiwan since the pandemic began to
499.

According to center spokesman Zhuang Ren-xiang, the latest case has been
reported in woman from the Philippines who arrived in Taiwan on September 10
for work.

She was tested for the coronavirus on here arrival and the results of that
test came back positive on Monday.

The woman is now being treated in a negative pressure room at a local
hospital.

The epidemic command center says the woman was in contact with 10 other
people, who are also due to arrive in Taiwan for work, prior to her arrival
here and authorities are now working to identify those individuals and when
they plan to enter the country.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:05

The Tourism Bureau says subsidies for people staying at coronavirus
quarantine hotels for the mandatory 14-day isolation period will last until
the end of this year, but will be reduced in order to ensure the budget
remains sustainable.

The government subsidies are aimed at encouraging hotels to offer lodgings to
people subjected to home quarantine or home isolation.

They were set to expire on August 31.

According to the bureau, although the subsidies will now be prolonged until
December 31, funding will cut from 1,200 N-T per person per day to 800 N-T
from October 1.

The subsidies will also only be available to Taiwanese nationals and
permanent residency holders from October 1.

The Tourism Bureau says there are more than 12,000 rooms in quarantine hotels
around Taiwan, with an occupancy rate of around 70-per cent.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:06

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security is calling on the Tsai administration to
return five Hong Kong citizens who are allegedly seeking political asylum
here in Taiwan.

The five have been detained in Kaohsiung since the Coast Guard intercepted
their boat in waters near the Dongsha Islands in late July.

Local journalist Edd Zhong has said he was one of the people who tried to
help them enter Taiwan and he's claiming the Hong Kongers have been unable to
contact their families or lawyers since being picked up by the coast guard
patrol.

The Mainland Affairs Council is refusing to comment on any reports concerning
the five Hong Kongers.

While Premier Su Tseng-chang is also refusing to comment on the case, but
says the government hopes to provide people in need with substantial
assistance.

Hong Kong authorities are claiming at least two of the five are facing
rioting charges related to anti-government protests in the city last year.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:06

The Ministry of Economic Affairs is keeping the basic electricity rate at the
current price of 2.6253 N-T per kilowatt-hour.

It marks the fifth consecutive time the government has opted to keep the rate
unchanged.

And the decision was made by the Electricity Tariff Review Committee, which
meets twice a year to review electricity rates.

The price of electricity was last changed in April of 2018, when it was
increased from 2.5488 to the current rate.

According to the economics ministry, although international fuel prices are
relatively low, the committee decided against lowering electricity rates due
to fuel price projections and rising costs related to nuclear power plants.

The ministry also says the government's electricity bill subsidy program for
certain businesses struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic has cost
19-billion as of September 10.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:06

The Legislature has established an ad hoc committee tasked with revising the
Constitution.

The committee was set up following consensus among lawmakers from the ruling
and opposition parties and is a necessary part of the review process for
constitutional amendments.

Legislative Speaker You Si-kun says the committee will consist of 22 D-P-P
lawmakers, 14 lawmakers from the K-M-T, two from the Taiwan People's Party,
and one from the New Power Party.

Those numbers are based on the party's proportion of seats in the
Legislature.

There were 11 draft constitutional amendments proposed during the previous
legislative session that passed the first threshold of receiving the backing
of at least one-quarter of the 113 lawmakers and can now be reviewed under
the new committee's structure.

The proposed include measures to lower the voting age and to abolish both the
Control and the Examination yuans.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:06

Transport Minister Lin Chia-lung is touting the success of the government's
recent transportation safety campaign -- saying it has resulted in a 50-per
cent decrease in the number of injuries seen in traffic accidents at
intersections.

The campaign was launched on September 1.

And Lin says from that date through this past Sunday, police recorded an
average of 7,458 daily traffic violations at intersections, up from 3,783
last year.

However, the number of people sustaining injuries in traffic accidents at
intersections during that period fell to an average of 358 people per day
from last year's average of 714.

The statement comes as the government is marking Transportation Safety Week,
which run through Sunday.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:06

The Hsinchu City Government says says three officials have received demerits
related to an incident that occurred during the August 30 International Kite
Festival.

A three-year-old girl became entangled in the tail of a kite and was dragged
into the air for about 30 seconds, video footage of which went viral.

Organizers of the event at the Nan-Liao Fishing Harbor managed to lower the
kite and the girl was brought back to earth, but she sustained abrasions to
her face and neck.

According to the Hsinchu City Government, Economic Development Department
Director Chang Li-ko has been given a major demerit.

While Chang's deputy, Li Bo-zhi, and Fishery Section chief Xie Jun-hong have
received minor demerits.

Posted on 2020-09-15 08:14:06

And finally,

The Taipei Astronomical Museum says a blue moon will occur on October 31.

A blue moon is a fairly infrequent phenomenon involving the appearance of a
second full moon in a single month.

And the museum says the idea of a blue moon as the second full moon in a
month stems from the March 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine.

October will have two full moons, with the first to appear at 5AM the 2nd and
the second will take place at 10PM on the 31st.

According to the astronomical museum, it's fairly unusual to see two full
moons in a month because there are normally about 29.5 days between full
moons, while a blue moon only occurs every two-and-a-half to three years.

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