Taiwan boasts 2nd lowest crime rate in 2020 global crime report

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/13
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has been ranked as the second safest country in the world, according to a 2020 mid-year crime index released by global database Numbeo.

In the recent report published by the site, Taiwan was given a safety index score of 84.74 points and a crime index score of 15.26, which together form a sum of 100. A total of 133 countries were included in this year's ranking, with Qatar, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) being listed as the top three.

Georgia and Oman were in the fourth and fifth place, followed by Hong Kong, Slovenia, the Isle of Man, Switzerland, and Japan, who rounded out the top ten. Meanwhile, South Korea had the 24th lowest crime rate globally and China and the U.S. each came in at 33rd and 84th, respectively.

Numbeo stated that "the crime index is an estimation of the overall level of crime in a given city or a country" and that it considers crime levels lower than 20 as very low and higher than 80 as very high, with three other point intervals in between: low (20-40); moderate (40-60); and high (60-80).    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/13/2020
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, July 13 (CNA) Taiwan's National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) has successfully cultivated key components from stem cells that hold the potential for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

After working for seven years, the NHRI research team has cultivated mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes that can promote neurogenesis and cognitive function recovery, said Li Hua-jung (李華容), team leader and an assistant research fellow at the NHRI's Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, at a press conference Monday to publicize the research results.

MSC-derived exosomes have superior regenerative ability to repair damaged brain function and contribute to the recovery of cognition and learning deficiencies in mice caused by hippocampal damage, Li said.

In most cases, brain damage and neurodegenerative disorders cannot be reversed and such problems can cause neurodegenerative dementia, according to Li.    [FULL  STORY]

‘MOBILE GAZEBOS’: More men than women are sent to emergency rooms every year due to heat injuries, and wide-brimmed hats are not enough protection, an expert said

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 14, 2020
By: Yang Yuan-ting / Staff reporter

Men’s unwillingness to use parasols could be a reason they experience heat illnesses more often than women, a health expert said on Sunday, as temperatures soared across the nation.

Pauling Chu (朱柏齡), head of the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Heatstroke at Tri-Service General Hospital in Taipei, said that one reason more men are sent to emergency rooms for heatstroke than women is that most of the people who work outdoors are men.

Another possible reason is that while women often use umbrellas during summer, men are more likely to wear wide-brimmed hats to protect against the sun, he said.

While parasols are like “mobile gazebos” that can keep the user in the shade, wearing a wide-brimmed hat tends to leave a person’s body exposed to the sun, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s surface navy is in no position to contest the South China Sea with the People’s Liberation Army Navy.

The National Interest
Date: July 12, 2020
By:  Mark Episkopos

Key Point: Taiwan has a long and difficult road to naval modernization ahead.

Taipei and Beijing are seemingly sliding into an escalatory spiral amid a flurry of veiled threats and accusations.

Just last week, China’s defense minister invoked Abraham Lincoln to justify the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) increasingly aggressive reunification policy:  “American friends told me that Abraham Lincoln was the greatest American president because he led the country to victory in the Civil War and prevented the secession of the U.S. The U.S. is indivisible, so is China. China must be and will be reunified.” Meanwhile, Taiwan’s government  called on China to “ repent” on the coming 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

Much of the media coverage of the ongoing Taiwan-China dispute is focused on the international repercussions of another Taiwan crisis; more specifically, on how Washington would react to Chinese military aggression against Taiwan.

But what are Taiwan’s military capabilities, and does Taiwan stand a chance of repelling a prospective Chinese invasion? The National Interest previously looked at the Taiwanese air force (ROCAF). We now turn to Taiwan’s navy.

As a maritime nation embroiled in a serious military dispute with a larger neighbor, Taiwan’s navy (ROCN) is unique for their nearly utter lack of a submarine force. Taiwan’s submarine roster consists of one US-purchased Hai Shih submarine, the last of the WWII-era Tench-class line to remain in service in 2019, and a handful of Dutch-made Hai Lung submarines procured in the 1980’s.    [FULL  STORY]

Iconic theater company greeted by huge audience in first performance since tragic fire

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/12
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Paper Windmill Theatre (紙風車劇團) on Saturday (July 11) gave a public performance in Taichung, the first since its studio burned down in a major fire last month.

Featuring the Chinese folktale of Wu Song, the tiger warrior, the outdoor performance attracted more than 10,000 spectators. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) organized the event along with seven local businesses that are members of Taiwan's national face mask production team, according to Liberty Times.

Huang said Saturday's huge attendance injected new light into the Paper Windmill Theatre's future, especially after the destructive fire and performance cancellations due to the pandemic. He said he has faith that the country's struggling performing arts industry will soon be revived and contribute to the economy.

Despite Taiwan's improved pandemic situation, all attendees were asked to provide their contact information and have their temperatures taken. Meanwhile, the performers were met with deafening applause for their humorous interpretation of the Chinese legend, reported CNA.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/12/2020
By: Wang Chao-yu and Evelyn Kao

Yilan, July 12 (CNA) Two Indonesian migrant workers riding a motorbike were killed in a traffic accident in Zhuangwei Township in Yilan County when they were run into by a pickup truck Sunday morning.

The motorbike riders, both Indonesian nationals, were rushed to a hospital, but were pronounced dead in the day after all efforts to resuscitate them failed.    [FULL  STORY]

The imposition of a sweeping Chinese legislation in Hong Kong has unnerved Taiwan, deepening fears that Beijing will focus on capturing the island. Like Hong Kong, Taiwan has morphed from a brutal autocracy into one of Asia’s most progressive democracies. Younger Taiwanese tend to be especially wary of its huge authoritarian neighbour. Therefore, Taiwanese support for the movement for democracy in Hong Kong is understandable. If China makes Taiwan its next target, it would not be surprising. However, if Beijing takes recourse to similar measures in Taiwan, it would have serious geopolitical consequences and the implications would be far-reaching.

The Statesman
Date: July 11, 2020
By: Rajaram Panda

China’s belligerence is evident yet again. This time it was Hong Kong that found itself in the receiving end of Chinese wrath. The world has witnessed the aggressive Chinese posture in South China Sea, on Taiwan, threats to Japan over Senkaku Islands, stand-off with India over the border, trade disputes with the United States and now the sweeping new National Security Law for Hong Kong that it passed on 30 June in haste.

In 116-pages of guidelines released on 6 July, China has expanded police surveillance and enforcement powers in Hong Kong. These form part of the new law targeting subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion. This single legislative measure negates all the terms and conditions agreed upon during the 1997 handover agreement by Britain to China. What are the key powers granted to the authorities when conducting national security investigations? Police can now raid premises without a courtgranted warrant in “exceptional circumstances”.

The guidelines specifically states this would apply if it “would not be practicable to obtain” a warrant. The rules also apply to searches of vehicles or electronic devices. Police now have the power to remove online content, a move that accords unprecedented control over the Internet. If users or providers do not follow the police order, officers can apply to a magistrate for a warrant to seize the relevant electronic devices and take action to remove the message. Individuals who do not obey the order are liable to be fined up to $12,900 or jailed for up to a year.

Jail terms for service providers are capped at six months. The guidelines also spelt out provisions for asset seizures and travel restrictions. If someone is suspected of endangering national security, police can apply to a magistrate for a warrant ordering them to surrender their passport. The city’s security chief can also freeze any assets deemed to be related to an offence against national security, and the justice chief can apply to the courts to order the confiscation of property. There are conditions for foreign political organisations as well.
[FULL  STORY]

• Taipei had been counting on Washington’s support for it to take part in the World Health Assembly
• The island says it’s not giving up, but Donald Trump’s move puts Taiwan in a difficult position

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

As the US begins the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organisation, it raises a big question for Taiwan: where does this leave its bid to rejoin the WHO’s decision-making body?Washington’s support has been crucial in Taipei’s push to take part in the World Health Assembly, something Beijing – which sees Taiwan as part of its territory – has blocked since the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party took power in 2016.

For now, the self-ruled island says it is not giving up.

Taipei was ousted from the WHO, a UN body, in 1972 – a year after it was expelled from the United Nations when Beijing joined. After a long campaign, it rejoined as a WHA observer in 2009, helped by Kuomintang president Ma Ying-jeou’s policy of engaging with Beijing.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei city government identifies 7 cases of unlimited monthly pass misuse, ends offenders' incentives

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/11
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taipei City government has successfully tracked down seven bus drivers who used their Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) monthly passes to get a higher performance bonus last year after the unlimited rides program caught national attention over suspicious cases of super-frequent riders.

Earlier this week, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) highlighted a hidden problem of the monthly MRT ticket and demanded an investigation into a passenger who had used his pass for NT$10,000 (US$340) worth of rides in one month at the cost of NT$1,280 (US$44). Despite the user's high frequency of trips, officials determined that no offense had been committed.

However, the Taipei City Traffic Engineering Office confirmed Thursday (July 9) that several bus drivers had taken advantage of the monthly ticket and used it to boost their passenger numbers. Since many bus agencies in the city offer performance incentives of up to NT$50,000 (US$1,696) to encourage their drivers, it believed that the seven offenders had been swiping their EasyCards in between journeys, reported CNA.

The officials explained that it is unusual for passengers to swipe their cards more than a few times on the same buses and that surveillance footage from onboard cameras had proven their suspicion. They said the drivers had confessed their misdeeds and that had each been fined NT$90,000 (US$3,053) and had their incentives withdrawn.    [FULL  STORY]