Eye On Taiwan

Taiwan first in world to resume pro baseball amid pandemic Posted: 09 Apr 2020 07:29 PM PDT Spectator-less season will kick off on Friday with Rakuten Monkeys playing Chinatrust Brothers Taiwan News Date: 2020/04/08 By:  Taiwan News, Staff Writer TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s professional baseball league will become the first in the world to start its 2020 season as many countries have been forced to delay or cancel sports events due to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The country’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is set to begin its new season on Friday (April 11), with ballparks closed to the public as a precaution against the coronavirus. Throughout the season, matches will only be attended by team members, league and stadium staff, cheerleaders, and journalists. The opening game will take place in Taoyuan City on Friday evening, with the home team and last year’s champions, Rakuten Monkeys, competing against the Chinatrust Brothers. CPBL President John Wu (吳志揚) has called on baseball fans to stay home for the broadcast and refrain from gathering outside the baseball stadium to avoid potential exposures to the virus. The league will also implement strict preventive measures at stadiums, training fields, and hotels that will receive baseball players following the advice of experts and the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), the CPBL said via a statement. It has also simplified game schedules to ensure that teams will travel less during the season, the statement said.   [FULL  STORY]

India turns to Taiwan for cricket Posted: 09 Apr 2020 07:21 PM PDT GLOBAL REACH: Taiwan Cricket said that up to five sides could play in a broadcast competition and that upgrading local infrastructure would be beneficial to a deal Tipei Times Date:  Apr 09, 2020 By: Grant Dexter / Staff reporter The concrete pitch at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District is pictured yesterday. Photo: Grant Dexter, Taipei Times Broadcasting companies are turning to Taiwan for cricket content amid the shutdown of the sport in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An Internet streaming platform based in Mumbai, India, yesterday contacted Taiwan Cricket asking for rights to stream games in Taipei to its cricket-starved audience, which it put at 75 million people. Yesterday, another India-based live sports streaming platform was seeking a “Taiwan cricket partnership.”The firms were promising global reach through their platforms with live content for users.    [FULL  STORY]

For Taiwan’s Olympic athletes, time to start over Posted: 09 Apr 2020 07:16 PM PDT Focus Taiwan Date: 04/08/2020 By: Lung Po-an, Chen Chao-fu, Huang Chiao-wen and Kay Liu Taiwan’s top gymnast Lee Chih-kai (CNA file photo) Taipei, April 8 (CNA) The postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games to 2021 due to the new coronavirus pandemic has some of Taiwan's elite athletes hitting the reset button while others are wondering when they will get another chance to qualify for the rescheduled Games. To Taiwan's top gymnast Lee Chih-kai (李智凱), the delay means basically returning to square one. "It was just 100 plus days away. Now, it's more than 400 days," said Lee at the end of March following 14 days in self-isolation after returning to Taiwan from qualifying events overseas. "All I can do is look on the bright side. At least I'm still young, and with the Olympics postponed for a year, I have the opportunity to continue to improve and strengthen and perfect new moves." [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s innovation bags gold in 2020 Edison Awards Posted: 09 Apr 2020 07:12 PM PDT Low-cost adhesive solution 'Celluad' from ITRI wins over judges with strong adhesion and water resistance Taiwan News Date: 2020/04/09 By: Chris Chang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer Celluad facilitates making of eco-friendly, non-volatile plywood products (ITRI photo) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) received a gold 2020 Edison Award in the Material Sciences & Engineering category with its innovative adhesive solution "Celluad". This is the first gold that ITRI has ever received from the Edison Awards; the national institute previously won a bronze award for its bionic knobby magnetic beads manufacturing technology iKNOBEADS in March. According to the ITRI, Celluad is a formaldehyde-free wood adhesive using an abandoned cellulose derivative as its main raw material and can be applied to plywood, flooring, and lumber core board. Unlike soy protein-based formaldehyde-free wood adhesives, Celluad is less expensive and avoids food-wasting.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan shares open lower Posted: 09 Apr 2020 07:08 PM PDT Focus Taiwan Date: 04/10/2020 By: Y.F. Low Taipei, April 10 (CNA) The Taiwan Stock Exchange's main index opened down 14 points at 10,105.43 Friday on turnover of NT$1.52 billion (US$50.45 million).    [SOURCE]

Virus Outbreak: Largan says outlook bleak Posted: 09 Apr 2020 07:04 PM PDT ILL EFFECTS: The nation’s leading camera lens maker said that order visibility for June is nil, but it could easily ramp up production if market conditions change Taipei Times Date: Apr 10, 2020 By: Natasha Li / Staff reporter Largan Precision Co (大立光), the nation’s leading camera lens manufacturer, yesterday gave a bleak outlook for this quarter due to the uncertainty engendered by the COVID-19 pandemic, after posting its strongest-ever first-quarter net profit, which surged 32.97 percent year-on-year to NT$6.72 billion (US$222.87 million). This figure translated into earnings per share of NT$50.1, up from NT$37.68 a year earlier. Revenue last quarter increased 34.52 percent to NT$13.21 billion. Gross margin climbed to 69.8 percent from 64.24 percent, thanks to an improved product mix, as well as higher average selling prices (ASP), the company said.    [FULL  STORY]

New body temperature scanning system unveiled Posted: 09 Apr 2020 06:58 PM PDT Radio Taiwan International Date: 09 April, 2020 By: Paula Chao The Industrial Technology Research Institute has unveiled a new system for scanning body temperature. (Photo by ITRI) The Industrial Technology Research Institute has unveiled a new system for scanning body temperature without the risk of distortion from environmental factors. The introduction of the new system comes amid a heightened need for temperature scanners as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Unlike other infrared scanners, the system does not require the use of hand-held objects, and it can be used outdoors as well. With its temperature compensation technology, the system is able to reduce distortion to readings caused by light, airflow, and humidity.    [FULL  STORY]

China joins WHO in criticism of ‘venomous’ Taiwan Posted: 09 Apr 2020 06:53 PM PDT Reuters Date: April 9, 2020 BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) – China has accused Taiwan of “venomously” attacking the World Health Organization (WHO) and conniving with internet users to spread racist comments, after the agency’s chief said racist slurs against him had come from the island. Taiwan, claimed by China as its sacred territory, has responded angrily to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’s assertion that “racist slurs” against him had originated in Taiwan, and demanded he apologize saying the accusations are nonsense. Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHO, due to China’s objections, has infuriated the Taipei government during the coronavirus outbreak. Taiwan says it has been unable to get timely information and that Taiwanese lives have been put at risk. The WHO denies this. In a statement late on Thursday, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office took aim at the “Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities”, referring to Taiwan’s ruling party and the usual wording Beijing uses for the island’s democratically elected government.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan busts biggest piracy movie website 8maple.ru Posted: 09 Apr 2020 06:49 PM PDT Other illegal sites hosting films closed, including gimy.tv, pttplay, momovod, and 149mov.com  Taiwan News Date: 2020/04/09 By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer 8maple.ru screengrab (Internet image) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan's most popular piracy movie website, 8maple.ru (楓林網), was busted on Wednesday (April 8) in Taoyuan, while its two Taiwanese founders were nabbed, followed by the closure of several other piracy websites the same day. Media reported the illegal websites gimy.tv, pttplay, momovod, and 149mov.com had halted their services. It was believed this was due to police operations. Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said 8maple.ru, the most-visited piracy movie site in the country, utilized offshore web hosting services to upload popular Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese, European and American dramas, movies, and television programs. They were unlawfully obtained and infringed the intellectual property rights (IPRs) of others. The bureau estimates damages for infringement of U.S. company IPRs amount to nearly NT$1 billion. 8maple.ru has been on the radar of police authorities in various countries, overshadowing Taiwan's efforts to combat cybercrime and safeguard IPRs.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan to donate 6 million masks to countries in Asia, Europe, Americas Posted: 09 Apr 2020 03:59 PM PDT Focus Taiwan Date: 04/09/2020 By: Emerson Lim (Photo taken from twitter.com/MOFA_Taiwan) Taipei, April 9 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday that Taiwan has launched another round of donations of surgical face masks to countries severely affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, including some listed in its New Southbound Policy, European nations, and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The decision follows the offer of a total of 10 million masks to Taiwan's 15 diplomatic allies, 11 European countries, and the United States, which is currently being carried out, MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said at a regular press conference. In the second round of donations, a total of six million surgical face masks will be sent to European Union member states, some U.S. states that are in dire need of personal protective equipment, some Latin American and Caribbean countries, and several countries covered by the Taiwan government's New Southbound Policy, according to Ou. "Under the slogan of 'Taiwan can help, and Taiwan is helping,' our government and people will continue to participate in international affairs through concrete actions," Ou said. [FULL  STORY]