Stuff
Date: Apr 12 2020
By: Andrea Vance

On a sweltering but calm afternoon, Eritara Aati Kaierua left the island of Pohnpei, Micronesia on his final journey. Aboard a rusting Taiwanese fishing vessel he sailed south-east, leaving behind mangrove swamps on the shore line, and passing low coral atolls, beyond the breakwater before reaching the deep-blue of the Pacific.

He would never leave that ship. In less than five weeks, the 40-year-old would be dead, found lying on the floor of his locked cabin with a brutal head wound and bruising to his neck.

Kaierua's death is now under investigation by Kiribati police, with assistance from Fijian pathologist. The father-of-three is the tenth Pacific fisheries observer to die on the lawless high seas in the last decade.

The tragedy has sparked a call for more protection for this vulnerable workforce, who often face hostility from captains and crews. And it's brought to light the mysterious deaths of two more i-Kiribati monitors in the last three years.    [SOURCE]

• Self-ruled island seems to have contained its outbreak, but its ban on overseas tours followed Beijing halting mainland Chinese groups going there
• Second phase of aid package will include bailouts for travel agents and workers, ministry announces

South China Morning Post
Date: 11 Apr, 2020
By: Lawrence Chung

Taiwan’s government has pledged emergency relief measures for its flagging tourism sector as part of its NT$1.05 trillion (US$35 billion) aid package for workers and businesses bearing the economic brunt of the coronavirus pandemic

.The tourism industry is expected to receive about NT$30 billion to help bail out its businesses, which were among the first to be affected by the outbreak.

Transport minister Lin Chia-lung appealed for calm on Thursday, saying his ministry – which covers tourism – would do all it could to help alleviate the sector’s plight.    [FULL  STORY]

Hoover Institution expert suggests US should form new international health body

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/11
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Fox News host Tucker Carlson described World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as “a joke” because of the latter’s remarks about Taiwan.

At a news conference, the WHO director-general complained he had been attacked by Taiwan and even accused his critics on the island of “racism.” His comments touched off a wave of indignation, with a fundraising campaign to publish a rebuke in the New York Times receiving an overwhelming response.

Talking to Stanford University Hoover Institution expert Lanhee Chen (陳仁宜) on his show “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” the Fox News host accused Tedros of repeated lying on behalf of China, starting with the claim that the coronavirus could not be transferred between humans. Later, the WHO chief also changed the official name of the virus to COVID-19 at Beijing’s behest, Carlson said.

When the WHO said that masks would not be necessary, China was already hoarding them, according to the Fox News host. He also repeated accusations that while serving in the government of his native Ethiopia, Tedros had suppressed information about two cholera outbreaks.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/11/2020
By: Wang Cheng-chung and Frances Huang

Taipei, April 11 (CNA) Taiwan is working to develop an app that would help people maintain social distancing, as part of its efforts to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus, Chien Hung-wei (簡宏偉), director of the cyber security department under the Executive Yuan, said Saturday.

When the app is released in a week or two, it will issue an alert on people's mobile phones if they get too close to each other, Chien said.

It will also provide information about crowded venues so that people could avoid entering, and it will give the users data on how often they came too close to others during each day, he said.

Under the social distancing guidelines issued by Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), people are advised to stay at least one meter apart outdoors and 1.5 meters apart indoors.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 09 April, 2020
By: Paula Chao

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]

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

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]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/09/2020
By: Emerson Lim

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]