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Stroll trails in Taipei’s Zhuzihu area and visit relics of Ponlai Rice culture

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Most people know that Zhuzihu (竹子湖) ) is home to Yangmingshan's calla lilies, but few have any idea that the valley tucked between Taipei’s Mt. Tatun and Mt. Qixing was the earliest breeding base of Ponlai Rice (Japonica rice) when Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule (1895 to 1945). A couple of trails in Zhuzihu have been renovated and connected by Taipei’s Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) to serve as a reminder of the local rice culture in the old days. During the Japanese colonial period, a Japanese engineer found that the Zhuzihu area was very suitable for planting short-grained Japanese rice cultivars because the area was situated on high terrain, the temperatures were low and the water quality was good. Therefore, cultivation of rice began in the area as early as in the 1920s. The GEO said that using the Waterwheel Liao (水車寮) at Dinghu (頂湖) as the center, the office had connected the Waterwheel Liao trail, which was used for hauling rice in the old days, with the newly renovated irrigation ditch trail (水圳步徑) to form a circular trail network. For a connection with the historic rice culture of this area, start a walking tour from the Zhuzihu Ponlai Rice Foundation Seed Field Story House (竹子湖蓬萊米故事館), stroll the trails between the farm fields and hydrangea gardens, and end the tour at the original site of the Ponlai cultivation (蓬來米原種田), the GEO recommended. Members of the public are recommended to take Bus S8 and S9 and get off at Zhuzihu (Hutian Elementary School). Walk for five minutes along the Waterwheel Liao trail to reach the irrigation ditch trail; the whole trip takes about 20 minutes. (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO) (photo courtesy of GEO)

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 17:36:00

A couple of trails in Zhuzihu have been renovated and connected by Taipei’s Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) to serve as a reminder of the local rice culture in the old days.  .During Japanese colonial period, a Japanese engineer found that the Zhuzihu was very suitable for planting short-grained Japanese rice cultivars

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317864

7 Kenya medics union officials freed; strike continues

NAIROBI,Kenya (AP) — A Kenyan court has released seven doctors who are officials in the medics' union and who were jailed earlier this week for not calling off a strike by doctors working in public institutions. The decision to free the seven was made Wednesday by three judges of the appellate court. About 1,000 doctors outside the court celebrated the officials' release and held a peaceful march to Parliament and Nairobi's Freedom Park. More than 5,000 doctors from public hospitals are on strike over pay and to protest Kenya's dilapidated health care system. Health minister Dr. Cleopa Mailu told the Senate committee for health that he had agreed to the release of the officials. The union had said that no negotiations would be held until the seven were freed.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 18:37:00

7 Kenya medics union officials freed; strike continues

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095659

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/images/category/580888eb17740.jpg

The Latest: Police ID gunman killed in Illinois standoff

SOUTH ELGIN, Ill. (AP) — The Latest on a police standoff in suburban Chicago (all times local): 11:30 a.m. Police say a 52-year-old suburban Chicago man who was fatally shot after a four-hour standoff immediately opened fire on officers as they arrived at his home. South Elgin Police Sgt. Mike Doty says three officers were "struck by gunfire." He says their injuries are not life threatening. Police say Frank Dripps fired at officers with a shotgun Tuesday night after they were called to his home in South Elgin, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Chicago. He then barricaded himself inside a stairwell of the condominium building where he lived. Doty says Dripps yelled vulgarities at officers and stated "he would shoot officers if they came at him." Doty also says Dripps raised his shotgun and a rifle with a scope to his shoulder "off and on" before police shot and killed him early Wednesday morning. ___ 9:15 am A suburban Chicago police officer fatally shot a man who fired at officers, wounding three, during an overnight standoff. The officers' injuries were not life threatening. The Chicago Tribune reports the standoff began late Tuesday when police were called to a home in South Elgin, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Chicago, for a report of shots fired. Police Sgt. Mike Doty says at least two shotgun blasts were fired at officers as they approached. Police surrounded the building and evacuated neighboring homes. Officers began negotiating with the man, who barricaded himself in a stairwell. Police believed he was armed with a scoped rifle as well as the shotgun. Police say an officer shot and killed the unidentified man after he fired at police again around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-05 00:27:00

The Latest: Police ID gunman killed in Illinois standoff

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474363

Report: Dutch spies caught Russian hackers on tape

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Netherlands' spy service broke into the computers used by a powerful Russian hacking group and may be sitting on evidence relating to the breach of the U.S. Democratic National Committee, a Dutch newspaper and television show jointly reported Friday. Reports carried in the respected daily Volkskrant and by the current affairs show Nieuwsuur said hackers working for the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service penetrated the computers used by the group, often nicknamed Cozy Bear, in mid-2014 and watched them for at least a year, even managing to catch the hackers on camera. Dutch Interior Minister Kajsa Ollongren, interviewed by reporters in The Hague before the government's weekly Cabinet meeting, declined to address the report, saying only that she was "very happy that we have good security services in the Netherlands that do their work well." President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said he had yet to see any official comment from the Dutch intelligence services on the matter. "If the Dutch media want to fuel anti-Russian hysteria in the U.S., it's an activity that can't be called honorable," he added. Volkskrant and Nieuwsuur said that the Dutch spies used their access to help oust Cozy Bear from U.S. State Department computers in late 2014. Volkskrant said American spies were so grateful they sent the Dutch cake and flowers. Ko Colijn, a researcher at Clingendael, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, said the report may indicate a leveling trend in which small but tech-savvy countries like the Netherlands "can compensate their military inferiority with cyber quality surpluses." The news drew particular attention in Washington, where Cozy Bear has been identified as one of two Russian government-linked hacking groups that broke in to the DNC ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The other group is usually called Fancy Bear. Unmasking the Cozy Bear hackers would provide key evidence for investigators trying to unravel the DNC breach, but it may not dispel the mystery surrounding the leaks that followed. A recent AP investigation found that all but one of the two dozen or so officials whose emails were published in the run-up to the 2016 election were targeted by Fancy Bear, which cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said operated independently from Cozy Bear. The Kremlin has denied meddling in the U.S. presidential vote. ___ Satter reported from London. Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. ___ Online: Volkskrant report (in English): https://www.volkskrant.nl/media/dutch-agencies-provide-crucial-intel-about-russia-s-interference-in-us-elections~a4561913/ Niewsuur report (in Dutch): https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2213762-hackteam-aivd-gaf-fbi-cruciale-info-over-russische-inmenging-verkiezingen.html

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-27 07:31:00

Report: Dutch spies caught Russian hackers on tape

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353759

AP source: Ex-FBI No. 2 official wrote memo on Comey firing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe drafted a memo on the firing of his onetime boss, James Comey. That's according to a person familiar with the memo, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a secret document that has been provided to special counsel Robert Mueller. The person says the memo concerned a conversation McCabe had with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about Rosenstein's preparations for Comey's firing. The Associated Press reported in March that McCabe had drafted multiple memos, including about his interactions with President Donald Trump. The New York Times first reported on the content of this particular memo. McCabe became FBI acting director following Comey's firing last May. He was fired as deputy director in March amid an inspector general finding that he had misled internal investigators.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 10:03:00

AP source: Ex-FBI No. 2 official wrote memo on Comey firing

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444689

Man admits stabbing woman who escaped from moving car

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man who repeatedly stabbed a woman in an Atlantic City casino parking garage last year has pleaded guilty to attempted murder. David Legette entered his plea Tuesday as part of a deal with Atlantic County prosecutors. The 54-year-old Bristol Township man faces a 16-year state prison term when he's sentenced July 20. Authorities say the victim had an active restraining order against Legette when the attack occurred July 2. Prosecutors say Legette stabbed her 19 times, then locked the car doors so she couldn't escape. As Legette drove in nearby Ventnor, the woman reached out of the window and opened the door from the outside. She then rolled herself out of the car and landed in the middle of the road as Legette drove off. She survived the ordeal.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-30 23:13:00

Man admits stabbing woman who escaped from moving car

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444390

AP POLL ALERT: At No. 7, Tennessee back in women's top 10 for first time since 2015; Texas drops to No. 8

NEW YORK (AP) — AP POLL ALERT: At No. 7, Tennessee back in women's top 10 for first time since 2015; Texas drops to No. 8.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 02:00:00

AP POLL ALERT: At No. 7, Tennessee back in women's top 10 for first time since 2015; Texas drops to No. 8

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318164

EPA chief signs proposal limiting science used in decisions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has signed a proposed rule that would restrict the types of scientific studies regulators can use to determine the impact of pesticide and pollution exposure on human health. Pruitt says the change would increase transparency in the agency's decision-making by requiring all underlying data used in scientific studies to be made publicly available. Critics, including former EPA administrators and scientists, say Pruitt's move is designed to restrict the agency from citing peer-reviewed public-health studies that use patient medical records required to be kept confidential under patient privacy laws. The embattled EPA administrator signed the proposed order at EPA headquarters Tuesday in an event that was livestreamed on the agency's website but not open to press coverage.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 00:00:00

EPA chief signs proposal limiting science used in decisions

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413454

Italy's high court refuses to release migrant rescue ship

ROME (AP) — Italy's highest court has rejected a request by a German group to release its migrant rescue boat seized eight months ago by prosecutors investigating allegations that non-governmental organizations colluded with migrant smugglers. The German group, Jugend Rettet, said Tuesday that it was devastated by the Cassation Court's ruling and that "we will fight for the right to rescue people in danger at sea." Doctors Without Borders said the ruling "sends a working signal (that) Europe will continue to criminalize humanitarian organizations conducting search-and-rescue operations ... rather than strengthening capacities to save lives at sea." Prosecutors told the court that the Iuventa was seized based on three episodes in which crew members had contact with migrant smugglers. The group's spokesman, Philipp Kulker, said in Berlin that the evidence had been fabricated.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 23:45:00

Italy's high court refuses to release migrant rescue ship

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413350

Today in History

Today in History Today is Saturday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2018. There are 331 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 3, 1943, during World War II, the U.S. transport ship SS Dorchester, which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a German torpedo in the Labrador Sea; of the more than 900 men aboard, only some 230 survived. (Four Army chaplains on board gave away their life jackets to save others and went down with the ship.) On this date: In 1690, the first paper money in America was issued by the Massachusetts Bay Colony to finance a military expedition to Canada. In 1783, Spain formally recognized American independence. In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified. In 1917, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, the same day an American cargo ship, the SS Housatonic, was sunk by a U-boat off Britain after the crew was allowed to board lifeboats. In 1918, actor-comedian Joey Bishop, a member of Hollywood's legendary "Rat Pack," was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx, New York. In 1924, the 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, died in Washington, D.C., at age 67. In 1930, the chief justice of the United States, William Howard Taft, resigned for health reasons. (He died just over a month later.) In 1959, rock-and-roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. An American Airlines Lockheed Electra crashed into New York's East River, killing 65 of the 73 people on board. In 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9 became the first manmade object to make a soft landing on the moon. In 1972, the XI Olympic Winter Games opened in Sapporo, Japan. In 1988, the U.S. House of Representatives handed President Ronald Reagan a major defeat, rejecting his request for $36.2 million in new aid to the Nicaraguan Contras by a vote of 219-211. In 1998, Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker, 38, for the pickax killings of two people in 1983; she was the first woman executed in the United States since 1984. A U.S. Marine plane sliced through the cable of a ski gondola in Italy, causing the car to plunge hundreds of feet, killing all 20 people inside. Ten years ago: The New York Giants scored a late touchdown to win Super Bowl XLII, 17-14, ending the New England Patriots' run at a perfect season; Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left, was named Most Valuable Player. Five years ago: Eight people were killed when a tour bus crashed in San Bernardino County, California, while returning 38 tourists to Tijuana, Mexico. A fired Los Angeles police officer launched a revenge war on law enforcement and the families of those he blamed for ending his career, killing four people during a 6-day manhunt that ended with his apparent suicide at a cabin in San Bernardino County. The Baltimore Ravens survived a partial power outage during Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans to edge the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. One year ago: President Donald Trump launched his long-promised attack on banking rules that were rushed into law after the nation's economic crisis, signing new orders after meeting with business and investment chiefs and pledging further action to free big banks from restrictions. Paris was plunged into panic — again — when soldiers guarding the Louvre Museum shot an attacker who lunged at them with two machetes and shouted "Allahu Akbar!" as the historic landmark went into lockdown; the suspect, believed to be Egyptian, was taken into custody. Today's Birthdays: Former Sen. Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., is 85. Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 78. Actress Bridget Hanley is 77. Actress Blythe Danner is 75. Singer Dennis Edwards is 75. Football Hall of Famer Bob Griese is 73. Singer-guitarist Dave Davies (The Kinks) is 71. Singer Melanie is 71. Actress Morgan Fairchild is 68. Actress Pamela Franklin is 68. Actor Nathan Lane is 62. Rock musician Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) is 62. Actor Thomas Calabro is 59. Rock musician/author Lol Tolhurst (The Cure) is 59. Actor-director Keith Gordon is 57. Actress Michele Greene is 56. Country singer Matraca (muh-TRAY'-suh) Berg is 54. Actress Maura Tierney is 53. Actor Warwick Davis is 48. Actress Elisa Donovan is 47. Reggaeton singer Daddy Yankee is 42. Actress Isla (EYE'-luh) Fisher is 42. Musician Grant Barry is 41. Human rights activist Amal Clooney is 40. Singer-songwriter Jessica Harp is 36. Actor Matthew Moy is 34. Rapper Sean Kingston is 28. Actor Brandon Micheal (cq) Hall is 25. Thought for Today: "Your friend will argue with you." — Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Russian writer (1918-2008).

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 13:00:00

Today in History

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3347266

Copperfield returns to stand in British man injury lawsuit

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas Strip headliner David Copperfield is due to return to the witness stand in a lawsuit by a British tourist who claims he was seriously hurt in a fall while taking part in one of Copperfield's signature illusions in 2013. The magician resumes testimony Tuesday after last week revealing secrets behind a trick that appears to make volunteer audience members vanish onstage and appear a few moments later in the back of the theater. Plaintiff Gavin Cox of Kent, England, alleges he fell after being hurried by stagehands through an MGM Grand hotel alleyway coated with a powdery residue near a trailer-sized trash bin. Copperfield's lawyers lost pretrial bids to close proceedings to the public to avoid revealing performance secrets Cox and his wife are seeking unspecified damages.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-18 00:00:00

Copperfield returns to stand in British man injury lawsuit

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413390

Venezuela's divided leaders bring home terms of talks

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Negotiators from Venezuelan's government and opposition say they'll return home to consult with their supporters on potential aspects of an accord to settle the nation's deep divides. The leaders emerged Wednesday from the latest round of closed-door negotiations in the Dominican Republic with contrasting assessments of how far the negotiations have advanced. Venezuela's Minister of Communications Jorge Rodriguez said a tentative deal had been signed, but opposition lawmaker Julio Borges said they'd only reached an agreement on certain points. Borges said there's no deal until both sides agree to all agenda items. Both sides are flying back to Caracas for consultations and are expected to return Monday. The opposition is pressing for fair presidential elections, among other demands. The government wants the opposition's help in easing international sanctions.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 04:22:00

Venezuela's divided leaders bring home terms of talks

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354948

Pope's briefing system under scrutiny after Chile gaffe

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Just how well informed is Pope Francis about the goings-on in his 1.2-billion strong Catholic Church? That question is making the rounds after the pope seemed completely unaware of the details of a Chilean sex abuse scandal that soured his recent trip there and forced him to do an about-face. It also came up after his abrupt, no-explanation dismissal of a respected Vatican bank manager. And it rose to the fore when Francis was accused by a cardinal of not realizing that his own diplomats were "selling out" the underground Catholic Church in China for the sake of political expediency. Vatican watchers say the pope has built an informal, parallel network of friends and informants but their information is not always up to the standards a world leader needs.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 09:00:00

Pope's briefing system under scrutiny after Chile gaffe

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354926

Betts beats Boston in 1st arbitration case, gets $10.5M

PHOENIX (AP) — Mookie Betts beat the Boston Red Sox in the first salary arbitration case of the year. The All-Star outfielder will get a raise from $950,000 to $10.5 million instead of the team's $7.5 million. Arbitrators Daniel Brent, Mark Burstein and Phillip LaPorte made the decision Wednesday, a day after hearing arguments. The 25-year-old hit .264 with 24 homers and 102 RBIs last year, when he made his second straight AL All-Star team. He batted .318 with 31 homers and 113 RBIs in 2016. His gap was the largest among the 27 players who swapped figures with their teams on Jan. 12. Just two of them reached agreements, leaving the rest headed toward hearings, which are scheduled through Feb. 16. Teams won eight of 15 decisions last winter. Several clubs refused to negotiate after the exchange of proposed arbitration salaries, a so-called file and trial strategy. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 03:04:00

Betts beats Boston in 1st arbitration case, gets $10.5M

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354914

Pope sends sex crimes expert to Chile to investigate bishop

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is sending the Vatican's most respected sex crimes expert to Chile to investigate a bishop accused by abuse victims of covering up for the country's most notorious pedophile priest. The Vatican said Tuesday that Maltese Bishop Charles Scicluna would travel to Chile "to listen to those who have expressed the desire to provide elements" about the case of Bishop Juan Barros. The Barros controversy dominated Francis' just-ended trip to Chile. While in Chile, Francis accused victims of Barros' mentor, the Rev. Fernando Karadima, of slander. The victims say Barros was aware of Karadima's abuse but stood by and did nothing. Barros denies the charges. Francis seemed unaware that victims had placed Barros at the scene. He staunchly stood by the bishop, telling reporters that he believed him innocent.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 21:47:00

Pope sends sex crimes expert to Chile to investigate bishop

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354230

Man who fled to Mexico with teen soon headed to Pennsylvania

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A man who frequently checked a teenager out of school without her parents' knowledge and fled to Mexico with her will soon be in the custody of Pennsylvania authorities. Federal agents and Mexican authorities found 45-year-old Kevin Esterly and 16-year-old Amy Yu in Playa del Carmen on Saturday and flew them to Miami. The Miami-Dade State Attorney's office says an extradition hearing was held Monday for Esterly, and he will be returned to Pennsylvania in the next two weeks. The girl arrived Sunday in Philadelphia and was taken home to Allentown, 60 miles (97 kilometers) away. Esterly faces a felony charge of interference with the custody of a child. Authorities believe Amy willingly traveled with him to Mexico.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 04:45:00

Man who fled to Mexico with teen soon headed to Pennsylvania

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385805

Authorities discover, detonate bomb left in new restaurant

BURLEY, Idaho (AP) — An unexploded bomb has been found in the doorway of a new, unopened downtown Idaho restaurant. The Times-News reports a bomb squad from Twin Falls detonated the bomb in Burley shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. Authorities say the bomb's fuse had been lit but the device didn't detonate. Firefighters found the bomb while extinguishing a blaze at an empty building across the street. Authorities say they're not certain whether a bomb started the fire, but they're working under that assumption. No one was injured. Cassia County Undersheriff George Warrell says authorities are hoping someone has more information about a white pickup spotted in the area around the time they believe the bomb was set. The incident is under investigation. ___ Information from: The Times-News, http://www.magicvalley.com

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 02:45:00

Authorities discover, detonate bomb left in new restaurant

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354394

Chinese Brand Haier Secures Extraordinary Customer Loyalty in France: Three Generations of a Family in Saint-Cyr, Paris Use Haier Refrigerators

QINGDAO, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--On April 22nd, a post on Facebook which said "Because of a product, I fell in love with a brand. Three generations of my family fell in love with three generations of Haier refrigerators" aroused wide attention and discussion. According to Jason who created the post, his family, headed by his grandfather Andrew, a 75-year-old retired teacher, live in Saint-Cyr town, Paris. His parents are professors at Université Paris Dauphine, and he has been working for Union Européenne de CIC after graduating from Harvard University. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005063/en/ Three generations of a family in Saint-Cyr, Paris use Haier (Photo: Business Wire) Andrew was the first to use the Haier refrigerator, who chose it for its larger cold storage space. This refrigerator brought Jason many fond memories of childhood, and is still in normal use now. Jason studied the Haier case at Harvard University, which enabled him to better understand the Haier mode and aroused his respect for the brand. After graduation, he bought a Haier full-space fresh-keeping refrigerator for his apartment and was greatly satisfied with its powerful preservation function. Jason's parents are keen on food, and they attach great importance to the preservation of food. When Jason wanted to prepare a special gift for his parents, he considered both the hobby of his parents and the good experience of using the Haier refrigerator, and finally in April this year, he brought the latest Haier T-door refrigerator for his parents. "I have a special feeling and trust in Haier. When choosing refrigerators, Haier is my first choice," Jason said. Haier is growing fast and its products are commonly seen in the French market, so it is not surprising that it is so much embraced by the "three generations" in the Saint Cyr town. According to statistics, Haier’s brand awareness in France has reached 39%, and its multi-fridge refrigerators rank first in France with a 47% market share. Although the unit price of Haier refrigerator is 1.6 times the industry average, the online growth rate has reached 4 times the industry average. In future, Haier looks to bring a better life to more people with its products. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005063/en/ CONTACT: Haier Group Lou Yaxi, 86 0532 88937947 louyx@haier.com KEYWORD: EUROPE ASIA PACIFIC CHINA FRANCE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Haier Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 03:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 03:00 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005063/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-23 15:00:00

Chinese Brand Haier Secures Extraordinary Customer Loyalty in France: Three Generations of a Family in Saint-Cyr, Paris Use Haier Refrigerators

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413516

Police: 2-year-old Utah girl killed by sibling handling gun

BALLARD, Utah (AP) — Authorities say a 2-year-old Utah girl has died after being fatally shot while her sibling was handling a gun. The Uintah County Sheriff's Office said Monday that the child was accidentally shot in her home Sunday by an older sibling who was moving the gun from one room to another. The sheriff's office says in a statement that the gun had been leaning against a wall inside the home since Saturday after being brought back from a hunting trip. The girl's parents took her to the hospital, where she died. Messages seeking additional details from the sheriff and chief deputy were not immediately returned. Ballard has a population of about 850 people and is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) southeast of Salt Lake City.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 08:26:00

Police: 2-year-old Utah girl killed by sibling handling gun

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318270

Merkel in Poland for talks on EU future, security

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in Poland for top-level talks that will focus on the European Union's future and security, and on bilateral issues between the neighboring countries. Merkel was greeted Monday by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki before going into talks on the EU's post-Brexit future, the bloc's budget, ways of solving the migration crisis and Poland's refusal to accept migrants under an EU plan. They will also discuss the EU's energy security and Poland's opposition to a planned Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline, as well as Europe's strained relations with Moscow. Merkel will also meet with President Andrzej Duda. She is making her second foreign trip, after visiting Paris, since she was sworn in for a fourth term last week. Germany's new foreign minister visited Warsaw on Friday.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 02:13:00

Merkel in Poland for talks on EU future, security

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385741

Ekman-Larsson's two late goals lead Coyotes past Flames

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored twice late in the third period to lead the Arizona Coyotes to a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday night. Max Domi also had two goals for Arizona, including an empty-netter with 21 seconds left, and had an assist on Ekman-Larsson's tiebreaking goal. Richard Panik scored early in the second period for the Coyotes, and Antti Raanta stopped 42 shots. Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist, and Sean Monahan also scored as Calgary lost for the fourth time in five games. Mike Smith finished with 25 saves. Domi stole a pass in the Calgary zone and beat Smith to tie the score at 2-2 with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the second period. Both teams missed several scoring chances in the third period until Ekman-Larsson put the Coyotes ahead with 3:41 remaining with his 100th career goal. He then had an empty-netter 2:04 later for his 13th of the season to double the lead. Smith started his first game at Gila River Arena since the Flames acquired him from Arizona last summer. A video tribute to the Coyotes' all-time leader in games played and shutouts was shown during a stoppage in play in the first period, and Smith offered a quick wave after being welcomed back. Arizona went up 1-0 on Panik's goal at 5:15 of the second. Panik fired in a wrist shot from his knees off Clayton Keller's cross-ice pass. Keller, a rookie, scored a point in his fifth straight game and has nine in his last 10 games. His 53 points lead the Coyotes this season. The Flames tied it on Hamilton's goal at 9:05 of the second, his 16th of the season. Hamilton's 43 points lead Calgary defensemen. Zac Rinaldo got free on a breakaway late in the period, but Smith kept the puck out of the net, pinning it to the near post where Rinaldo tried to stuff it home. The Flames took the lead with 4:32 left in the middle period as Monahan put in a rebound for his team-leading 31st. The advantage lasted just two minutes. Neither team scored in the first period, but a goal by Monahan at with about seven minutes to go was disallowed because of a delayed penalty. The Coyotes totaled six penalty minutes in the first, all related to physical play and scuffles with Flames players. Domi was called for high sticking and raised his penalty-minute total to 67, which leads the Coyotes. NOTES: The Coyotes were without head coach Rick Tocchet on Monday, as he left the team to attend his mother's funeral near Toronto. Tocchet is expected to rejoin the Coyotes on Wednesday when they visit Buffalo. ... The Coyotes embark on a six-game road trip after Monday's game and will play eight of their final 10 regular-season games away from home. ... Flames D TJ Brodie missed his first game of the season, scratched due to an upper-body injury suffered Sunday at Vegas. ... F Matthew Tkachuk was also scratched, missing his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury. ... C Sam Bennett served four penalty minutes for roughing. UP NEXT Flames: Host Anaheim on Wednesday night. Coyotes: At Buffalo on Wednesday night.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 13:04:00

Ekman-Larsson's two late goals lead Coyotes past Flames

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386105

10 millionth intl. visitor to Taiwan in 2017 gets a surprise welcome!

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – On Dec. 12 at 11:40 a.m., the Taiwan Tourism Bureau along with representatives from China Airlines, and Taoyuan International Airport welcomed the arrival of 10 millionth international traveler to Taiwan this year. The surprise celebration and a welcome worthy of a superstar took Ms. Tan Jue-Ping entirely by surprise after landing at 10:40 a.m. and waiting in line at immigration. Tan was traveling with her family from Singapore, and was already looking forward to her first time visiting Taiwan. Thanks to the gift package from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, the lucky traveler will be spending her time in Taiwan at the height of luxury. Not only can she extend her planned stay in Taiwan with vouchers for free hotel stays at the Regent Taipei, the Howard Plaza Hotel in Kaohsiung, and the Parkview resort in Hualien, but China Airlines will also take care of her flight home as well. Tan is travelling with 12 members of her family, and they were already planning a trip to include Taipei and Taichung, and then visits to Qingjing Farm in Nantou as well as a stop by Hualien to see the East coast. One of Tan's family members remarked that they had come to Taiwan nearly 30 years ago on their honey moon to see Alishan and Sun Moon Lake. They said the decision to return to Taiwan on this trip was definitely the right decision. This is the third year in a row that Taiwan has welcomed over 10 million international travelers. The extravagant welcome for Tan and her family was also a celebration of the successes Taiwan has had over recent years in attracting foreign visitors and raising the profile of Taiwan abroad. Over the last year, the Tourism Bureau has been working on a five part strategy to enhance tourism in Taiwan. The comprehensive plan includes; exploring more diverse markets, continuing to promote national tourism, working with various industries to integrate transformational strategies congenial to tourism, developing "smart" sightseeing experiences, and promoting experiential tourism. According to a press release, the Director of Taiwan's Tourism Bureau Zhou Yong-hui (周永暉) said that the Bureau will continue to do everything it can to promote tourism in Taiwan abroad, and to improve the quality of visitor experience. He also extended a warm welcome to people all over the world to visit Taiwan, and experience the island's beauty for themselves.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 16:39:00

The lucky traveler came with her family from Singapore, and received a royal welcome at Taoyuan Intl. airport.On Dec. 12 at 11:40 a.m., the Taiwan Tourism Bureau along with representatives from China Airlines, and Taoyuan International Airport welcomed the arrival of 10 millionth international traveler to Taiwan this year.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318621

GOP leaders have yet to move to protect special counsel

WASHINGTON (AP) — More Republicans are telling President Donald Trump in ever blunter terms to lay off his escalating criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia probe. But party leaders are taking no action to protect Mueller, embracing a familiar strategy with the president — simply waiting out the storm. Trump blistered Mueller and his investigation all weekend on Twitter and started in again Monday, questioning the probe's legitimacy with language no recent president has used for a federal inquiry. "A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!" Trump tweeted. Mueller is leading a criminal probe into whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign had ties to Russia and whether there has been obstruction of justice since then. Trump was told to cut it out on Sunday by such notable Republicans as Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Then on Monday he was told that firing Mueller would be "the stupidest thing the president could do" by Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. But Hatch, on CNN, also said he didn't see any need for legislation to protect Mueller. And that sentiment was widely echoed by GOP leaders. In recent months, bills to protect the special counsel have stalled, and Republican leaders have stuck to muted statements endorsing Mueller or denying he is in trouble. So far, that tactic has worked for them as Trump has lambasted the Russia investigation on Twitter but allowed Mueller to continue his work. Democrats say legislation is needed. "Immediately," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. And Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, a frequent Trump critic, said, "If you don't pick this fight, then we might as well not be here." But GOP leaders saw no reason to leap to stop a firing they don't think is in sight. "I don't think that's going to happen so I just think it's not necessary, and obviously legislation requires a presidential signature," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate. "I don't see the necessity of picking that fight right now." Still, Cornyn said there would be "a number of unintended consequences" if Mueller were to be removed, and lawmakers had communicated that message to Trump "informally and formally." White House lawyer Ty Cobb issued a statement Sunday tamping down the speculation, saying Trump is not "considering or discussing" Mueller's removal. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Trump has "some well-established frustration" about the probe but insisted there is no internal discussion about removing Mueller. Separately, Trump's legal team has provided documents to Mueller summarizing their views on key matters being investigated, according to a person familiar with the situation. That person insisted on anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. The records were given as Trump's lawyers negotiate with Mueller's team about the scope and terms of a possible interview with the president. Also, Trump added a new lawyer. Joseph diGenova, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, will join his team later this week. DiGenova has been outspoken in his defense of Trump, talking of a "brazen plot" to exonerate Hillary Clinton in an email investigation and to "frame" Trump with a "falsely created crime." Multiple White House officials said Monday that they believe Trump is now acutely aware of the political — and even legal — consequences of taking action against Mueller. For now, they predicted, Trump will snipe at Mueller from the outside. His sniping is getting more pointed. Trump challenged the probe's existence over the weekend and strongly suggested political bias on the part of Mueller's investigators. The tweets ruffled some GOP lawmakers. South Carolina's Gowdy admonished the president's lawyers, saying that if Trump is innocent, "act like it." But House and Senate leaders remained quiet, and decidedly unruffled. "As the speaker has always said, Mr. Mueller and his team should be able to do their job," said AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to comments that McConnell made in January saying he wasn't worried that Mueller would be ousted. Two bipartisan Senate bills introduced last summer, when Trump first started criticizing Mueller's probe, would make it harder to fire a special counsel by requiring a judicial review. But Republicans backing the bills have not been able to agree on the details, and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley has shown little interest in moving them. McConnell has said he thinks they are unnecessary. Still, some of the White House officials acknowledged that Trump did once flirt with removing Mueller. That came last summer, when Trump's legal team — then led by New York attorney Marc Kasowitz — was looking into potential conflicts of interest with Mueller and his team and planning to make a case to have him removed, according to people familiar with the strategy. Those people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations. As that strategy was being formulated, Trump directed White House counsel Don McGahn in June to call Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to raise the perceived conflicts and push for Mueller's removal, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. McGahn put off making the call because he disagreed with the strategy, the person said. When Trump persisted in pressing the issue, McGahn told other senior White House officials he would resign if Trump didn't back off. Trump let the matter drop, the person said. Trump cannot directly fire Mueller. Any dismissal, for cause, would have to be carried out by Rosenstein, who appointed the counsel and has continued to express support. Trump has fumed to confidants that the Mueller probe is "going to choke the life out of" his presidency if allowed to continue indefinitely, according to an outside adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations with the president. Likely contributing to Trump's sense of frustration, The New York Times reported last week that Mueller had subpoenaed the Trump Organization for Russia-related documents. Trump had said Mueller would cross a red line with such a step. "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans?" he tweeted Sunday. Some of Mueller's investigators indeed have contributed to Democratic political candidates including Hillary Clinton, but Justice Department policy and federal service law bar discrimination in the hiring of career positions on the basis of political affiliation. Mueller is a Republican. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Darlene Superville and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 12:46:00

GOP leaders have yet to move to protect special counsel

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386079

AP Analysis: Rio de Janeiro Olympics cost $13.1 billion

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — An analysis by The Associated Press shows that the cost of putting on last year's Rio de Janeiro Olympic was $13.1 billion. At a news conference Wednesday, officials of Brazil's Public Authority for Olympic Legacy said the cost for only "sports-related venues" was 7.23 billion reals ($2.06 billion). In addition, the Rio organizing committee previously listed the costs of running the Games at 9 billion reals ($2.8 billion). The Olympic legacy body did not account for other Olympic-related costs. But the AP obtained them in emailed statements from city, state and federal agencies. Those costs were 26.385 billion reals ($8.2 billion) for, among other things, a subway line, a doping laboratory, a renovated port and cleanup of polluted Guanabara Bay. Federal prosecutor Leandro Mitidiery told the AP he had to ask himself if a "country with such inequality as Brazil should have hosted such an event."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 04:29:00

AP Analysis: Rio de Janeiro Olympics cost $13.1 billion

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188130

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The Latest: Boeing's North Charleston plant votes on union

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The Latest on the vote by employees of Boeing's plant in North Charleston on whether to join a union (all times local): 6:45 a.m. Voting is underway as thousands of workers at Boeing's South Carolina plant decide if they want to unionize. Polling places opened early Wednesday morning throughout the aviation giant's sprawling facility in North Charleston. A second wave of voting takes place this afternoon. Nearly 3,000 production workers are eligible to vote in the election to determine if they'll be represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The union initially petitioned for a vote in 2015 but called off that election because of what the union called a toxic atmosphere and political interference. The global aviation giant came to South Carolina in part because of the state's minuscule union presence. Labor experts say a "yes" vote would have repercussions throughout the South, potentially inspiring other workers to think about unionizing. ___ 4:10 a.m. Nearly 3,000 production workers at Boeing's South Carolina plant are deciding if they want to unionize, writing the next chapter in efforts to organize labor in large manufacturing plants across the South. If successful, Wednesday's balloting on whether employees should join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers would send a significant message to politicians both in the region and Washington that workers here are demanding the same protections and benefits as their colleagues in other areas. And, to the leaders trying to recruit businesses by promoting their states' lack of union presence, it'd make their jobs more difficult. Labor experts say a "yes" vote would have repercussions throughout the South, potentially inspiring other workers to think about unionizing.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 19:51:00

The Latest: Boeing's North Charleston plant votes on union

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095719

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Global Stretchable Conductive Materials Market 2018-2022

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 4, 2018--The global stretchable conductive materials market is expected to register a CAGR of around 30% during the period 2018-2022, according to the latest market research report by . This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005227/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global stretchable conductive materials market from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) A key factor driving the market’s growth is the increasing demand for wearable devices. Stretchable conductive materials are used mainly in wearable devices. Thus, the growth in the wearable devices market will increase the use of stretchable conductive materials. The development of conductive elastomers that exhibit electrical conductivity and mechanical stretchability is a key contributor to the rising demand for wearable devices. This market research report on the provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook during the forecast period. Technavio predicts an emerging trend as a major factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: In this report, Technavio highlights the increased R&D in wearable technology as one of the key emerging trends in the global stretchable conductive materials market: Global stretchable conductive materials market: Increased R&D in wearable technology The global stretchable conductive materials market is registering significant growth and will post a high growth rate during the forecast period. Technological advances and R&D activities, particularly in the wearable devices sector will lead to an increase in the use of stretchable conductive materials during the forecast period. For instance, advanced R&D has led to the increased compatibility of smartwatches with media players, tablets, and headsets. “The introduction of smart textile wearables and advances in nanotechnology, plastic electronics, and conducting polymers have led to improvements in wearable technologies. The healthcare industry invests heavily in R&D activities for the development of advanced wearable technologies,” says a senior market research analyst at Technavio. Global stretchable conductive materials market: Segmentation analysis This market research report segments the global stretchable conductive materials market into the following products (graphene, carbon nanotubes, silver, and copper) and key regions (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA). The graphene segment held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for nearly 31% of the market. This product segment is expected to dominate the global market throughout the forecast period. The Americas held the highest share of the global stretchable conductive materials market in 2017, accounting for a market share of more than 39%. The market share occupied by this region is anticipated to increase by almost 1% during 2018-2022. Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis Market Sizing Market sizing Market size and forecast Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation Geographical Segmentation Regional comparison Key leading countries Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio’s report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio’s comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at . View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005227/en/ CONTACT: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING CHEMICALS/PLASTICS OTHER MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Technavio Research Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 07/04/2018 11:08 AM/DISC: 07/04/2018 11:08 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005227/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 23:08:00

Global Stretchable Conductive Materials Market 2018-2022| Increasing Demand for Wearable Devices to Boost Growth| Technavio

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474338

Tractor trailer overturns, hundreds of chickens killed

ALLIANCE, Ohio (AP) — A truck crash in Ohio has left hundreds of chickens dead, and those that did survive huddled together in a nearby ditch. The Review in Alliance reports a tractor trailer carrying crates of chickens veered off the road, struck a utility pole and overturned Monday in Stark County's Washington Township. The road where the crash occurred was closed for several hours. Washington Township is roughly 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Akron. The driver of the tractor trailer owned by Case Farms wasn't injured, but was taken to hospital to be tested for controlled substances. Houses in the area lost power after the accident. The state Highway Patrol is investigating. ___ Information from: The Review, http://www.the-review.com

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 01:07:00

Tractor trailer overturns, hundreds of chickens killed

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413384

Samsung Electronics Sets New Performance Standards for NVMe SSDs with 970 PRO and EVO

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Samsung Electronics America, Inc., today introduced the Samsung 970 PRO and EVO, the third generation of its industry-leading consumer solid state drive (SSD) lineup. Having led the market with the first consumer-focused NVMe SSD in 2015, Samsung continues to push the performance barriers with this latest generation of SSDs that are built for tech enthusiasts and professionals so that they can enjoy higher bandwidth for intensive workloads on PCs and workstations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005368/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) “Samsung has led the NVMe SSD industry since its inception, and the company continues to define the latest standards of consumer storage with unprecedented performance of the 970 PRO and EVO SSDs,” said Un-Soo Kim, senior vice president of Brand Product Marketing, Memory Business at Samsung Electronics. “The 970 series sets a new bar in all aspects for the NVMe SSD market with groundbreaking performance, superior reliability and best-in-class capacity.” The Samsung 970 PRO and EVO are designed based on the M.2 form factor standard and with the latest PCIe Gen 3x4 lane interface. The 970 series maximizes the potential of NVMe bandwidth, delivering unparalleled performance for processing large volumes of data, including 3D, 4K graphics work, high-end games and data analytics. The 970 PRO enables sequential read speed of up to 3,500 MB/s and sequential write speed of up to 2,700 MB/s 1, while the EVO features sequential read speed of up to 3,500 MB/s and sequential write speed of up to 2,500 MB/s 2. The sequential write speeds represent an enhancement of up to 30 percent over the previous generation 3, thanks to Samsung’s latest V-NAND technology and the newly designed Phoenix controller. The 970 EVO, in particular, utilizes the Intelligent TurboWrite technology, which uses a large buffer size of up to 78GB 4 to enable faster write speeds. In addition to the advancements in performance levels, the 970 PRO and EVO deliver exceptional endurance and reliability. Featuring a five-year warranty 5, or up to 1,200 terabytes written 6 – 50 percent higher than those provided for the previous generation 7 – the 970 PRO and EVO are built to last. The Dynamic Thermal Guard technology safeguards against overheating by automatically monitoring and maintaining optimal operating temperatures, while a heat spreader and new nickel-coated controller further lower the SSD temperatures. The 970 PRO and EVO also provide greater system design flexibility for the high-performance computing systems. Offering a variety of high capacity options in a compact M.2 form factor – including the single-sided 2TB EVO model – the 970 series enables convenient storage expansion across a wide range of computing devices. The 970 EVO will be offered in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB 8 capacities, and the 970 PRO in 512GB and 1TB capacities. The 970 PRO and EVO will be available for purchase worldwide starting May 7, 2018, with manufacturer’s suggested retail prices starting at $329.99 and $119.99 USD, respectively. For more information, including warranty details, please visit www.samsung.com/SSD, www.samsungssd.com. Key Specifications * Five years or TBW, whichever comes first About Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment, Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality, wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video, customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS. About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005368/en/ CONTACT: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Cat Forgione, 202-591-1120 samsungssd@allisonpr.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW JERSEY INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION HARDWARE NETWORKS TELECOMMUNICATIONS OTHER TECHNOLOGY MOBILE/WIRELESS SOURCE: Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 10:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 10:00 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005368/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 22:01:00

Samsung Electronics Sets New Performance Standards for NVMe SSDs with 970 PRO and EVO

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413721

Ex-librarian gets 15 years in prison for kidnap-killing plot

NEW YORK (AP) — A retired New York City school librarian has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for scheming to carry out gruesome fantasies of kidnapping, torturing and killing women and girls. Robert Christopher Asch was sentenced Monday in Manhattan federal court. The 65-year-old Manhattan resident was convicted in March 2014 along with a New Jersey auto mechanic. Prosecutors said Asch conspired from the spring of 2011 to January 2013 to kidnap, torture and kill the wife of a co-defendant and a female FBI agent working undercover. No one was hurt. The convictions came a year after the headline-grabbing case of a police officer accused of plotting abductions and cannibalism. A judge tossed the most serious charges after that trial and sentenced the ex-officer to time served for a misdemeanor.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 01:59:00

Ex-librarian gets 15 years in prison for kidnap-killing plot

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354380

Alleged drug-ring leader brought from Colombia to US court

NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say the alleged leader of a homicidal drug ring that imported tons of cocaine from Colombia into the U.S. has been brought to New York to face charges. Daniel Rendon-Herrera, also known as "Don Mario," pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn on Tuesday to leading a continuing criminal enterprise. There was no immediate comment from the defense. Federal authorities say that the organization sent multi-ton, U.S.-bound shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Central America between about June 2003 and December 2014. U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue says the group also employed hit men across North and South America.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 03:11:00

Alleged drug-ring leader brought from Colombia to US court

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413425

Sixteen Healthcare Groups Make Major Commitments at 2nd Annual Patient Safety Rally in Taiwan

TAICHUNG, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--The Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) joined the Taiwan Patient Safety Culture Club (TPSCC) at the 2 nd Annual Patient Safety Rally hosted by the TPSCC in Taichung, Taiwan on April 21, 2018. Sixteen healthcare organizations, including fourteen hospitals, committed to implementing the PSMF’s evidence-based Actionable Patient Safety Solutions (APSS), which have been proven to improve healthcare quality and eliminate preventable harm, and deaths, in hospitals. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005360/en/ More than 150 attendees, including hospital executives and staff, attended this year's 2nd Annual Patient Safety Rally in Taiwan (Photo: Business Wire) “I’ve said before that we must not hope for zero preventable patient deaths, we must plan for zero. We are thrilled by the leadership of Dr. Mingi Chan Liao M.D., Ph.D. and the Taiwan Patient Safety Culture Club who have rallied Taiwan’s hospitals to act on behalf of patients everywhere. Only through action will we be able to eliminate preventable harm from hospitals,” explained Joe Kiani, Founder, and Chairman of the Patient Safety Movement. At the rally, Joe Kiani welcomed attendees with a short video. Each hospital’s leadership and executive staff took the stage to publicly announce their commitments to implement the APSS that, when implemented, will positively improve the care provided in their facilities. The list of committed hospitals and partners include: 1. Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital 2. Taitung Hospital 3. Chiayi Branch, Taichung Veterans General Hospital 4. Ministry of Health and Welfare Pingtung Hospital 5. Keelung Hospital Ministry of Health and Welfare 6. Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare 7. Jianan Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare 8. Hua-lien Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare 9. Pingtung Christian Hospital 10. St. Joseph’s Hospital 11. Tung's Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital 12. Penghu Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare 13. Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation 14. Changhua Christian Children’s Hospital 15. Committed Partner: Taiwan Healthcare Quality Association 16. Committed Partner: Unison Healthcare Group Also speaking at the rally were Ms. Maria Cvach, the director of Policy Management and Integration at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Dr. Shin Ushiro, a professor of safety management at Kyushu University Hospital, Japan. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s Vice President, Ariana Longley, was on hand to support the work being done by the TPSCC, as one of the PSMF’s most active committed partners internationally. More than 120 supporters attended the rally as the Taiwan Patient Safety Culture Club works to join the PSMF in unifying the healthcare ecosystem. “To improve patient safety, we must not only listen but act. I am thrilled by the commitment of all sixteen committed hospitals and partners who have shown great leadership by implementing evidence-based processes proven to improve patient safety. The combined commitments from our two rallies means that 19 out of 22 administrative regions have embraced patient safety with the commitment to ZERO preventable deaths by 2020,” explained Dr. Chan Liao. Following the rally, Ms. Longley joined the Club’s President, Dr. Chan Liao, for visits to local hospitals. The rally is the second in the last year by Taiwan’s hospitals to raise awareness and take action to improve patient safety in hospitals. Last year, 19 Taiwanese hospitals made commitments to implementing APSS. For more information on the rally or the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, please visit patientsafetymovement.org or contact Tanya Lyon, Public Relations Manager at (949) 351-2858 or tanya.lyon@patientsafetymovement.org. About Patient Safety Movement Foundation: More than 200,000 U.S. patients and three million worldwide die each year from preventable causes. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) was established through the support of the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation, and Competition in Healthcare to reduce that number of preventable deaths to zero by 2020 (0X2020). Improving patient safety requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including patients, healthcare providers, medical technology companies, government, employers, and private payers. The PSMF works with all stakeholders to address problems with actionable solutions. The Foundation also convenes the World Patient Safety, Science and Technology Summit bringing together some of the world’s best minds for thought-provoking discussions and new ideas that challenge the status quo. By presenting specific, high-impact solutions to meet patient safety challenges, called Actionable Patient Safety Solutions, encouraging medical technology companies to share the data their products are purchased for, and asking hospitals to make commitments to implement Actionable Patient Safety Solutions, the Patient Safety Movement Foundation is working toward zero preventable deaths by 2020. Visit http://patientsafetymovement.org/. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005360/en/ CONTACT: Patient Safety Movement Foundation Tanya Lyon, 949-351-2858 Public Relations Manager tanya.lyon@patientsafetymovement.org KEYWORD: ASIA PACIFIC NORTH AMERICA CANADA TAIWAN INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PRACTICE MANAGEMENT HEALTH HOSPITALS NURSING MANAGED CARE SOURCE: Patient Safety Movement Foundation Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 08:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005360/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-23 20:01:00

Sixteen Healthcare Groups Make Major Commitments at 2nd Annual Patient Safety Rally in Taiwan

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413490

UN prosecutor urges judges to give Karadzic life sentence

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A United Nations prosecution lawyer has urged appeals judges to convict former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic on a second genocide count and increase his 40-year sentence for overseeing Serb atrocities during the Bosnian war to a life sentence. Prosecutor Katrina Gustafson told a five-judge appellate panel at the U.N. Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals that Karadzic "abused his immense power to spill the blood of countless victims. Justice requires that he receive the highest possible sentence — a life sentence." Karadzic's lawyers said Tuesday that not only should he not be convicted of a second genocide count, but the genocide conviction imposed by trial judges in 2016 for Karadzic's role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre should be overturned on appeal.

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2018-04-24 23:00:00

UN prosecutor urges judges to give Karadzic life sentence

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413199

Teacher killed in space shuttle Challenger disaster honored

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire has proclaimed a day in tribute to a local teacher who died in the NASA space shuttle Challenger disaster decades ago. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu (soo-NOO'-noo) said Sunday would be known as Christa McAuliffe Day in honor of the Concord (KAHN'-kard) woman selected to become the first educator in space out of 11,000 applicants. McAuliffe never made it to orbit because she and six crewmates were killed when the Challenger broke apart shortly after takeoff on Jan. 28, 1986. McAuliffe would have been NASA's first designated teacher in space. She was going to experiment with fluids and demonstrate Newton's laws of motion for schoolchildren. Astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold recently said they will pay tribute to McAuliffe by carrying out her science classes on the International Space Station.

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2018-01-29 01:41:00

Teacher killed in space shuttle Challenger disaster honored

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353797

Chinese retail tycoon's fraud conviction thrown out

BEIJING (AP) — China's supreme court has thrown out the fraud conviction of a retail tycoon in an unusual gesture of official leniency toward entrepreneurs amid a string of high-profile detentions and prosecutions that has rattled the Chinese business world. The Supreme People's Court ruling Thursday reversed the conviction of Zhang Wenzhong, former chairman of Wumart Stores, who served 12 years in prison on charges of improperly obtaining technology development subsidies. A number of Chinese businesspeople have been prosecuted or detained for questioning about possible offenses including embezzlement and bribery. On Wednesday, a lawyer for the imprisoned founder of the insurance company that owns New York City's Waldorf Hotel said he planned to appeal his 18-year sentence imposed this month on fraud charges.

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2018-05-31 14:45:00

Chinese retail tycoon's fraud conviction thrown out

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444936

Review: 'The Wedding Date' is light-hearted read

"The Wedding Date" (Berkley), by Jasmine Guillory If you've ever met someone and felt an instant connection, you're not alone. It happened to Alexa Monroe, who was visiting her out-of--town sister at San Francisco's Fairmont hotel. Shortly after she walked into the elevator, it stalled. Conversation ensued with the disabled lift's other rider, a hot doctor named Drew Nichols. This is the premise of "The Wedding Date," Jasmine Guillory's debut novel. Readers are taken on a journey following the main characters' relationship. The elevator pair start by sharing cheese and crackers and a bottle of champagne originally meant for Alexa's sister as they wait for a repairman. Drew is in town from Los Angeles for an ex-girlfriend's wedding. He has no date. After a drink and light flirting, he asks Alexa to accompany him to the soiree, to be held the next day. "I am a dateless groomsman in the wedding of my ex-girlfriend and former best friend," Drew says. "My date bailed on me last-minute, so I'm going to look pathetic, and I'll probably get drunk and hit on a bridesmaid — the whole thing is going to be a nightmare." "The Wedding Date" is a romance story with plenty of sex, though not on the scale of "Fifty Shades of Grey." Guillory, whose writing is clean, yet elegant, does a fine job of leaving much of the sexual content to the reader's imagination. The book also explores, on a surface level, interracial relationships. Alexa is black; Drew is white. They have plenty in common: they're both highly educated, have successful careers and live in big coastal cities. Some modern dating themes are also explored. The novel is a light-hearted and quick read with fully drawn characters, and it's likely to resonate with many readers. ___ Online: https://www.jasmineguillory.com/

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2018-01-31 03:37:00

Review: 'The Wedding Date' is light-hearted read

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354406

Mario and Minions? Illumination to co-produce Nintendo film

TOKYO (AP) — Mario is getting together with the Minions. Japanese video-game company Nintendo Co. says a movie starring the plumber in the Super Mario franchise is in the works, being co-produced with Chris Meledandri, the chief executive of Illumination Entertainment, the U.S. animation studio behind the popular "Despicable Me" series. Nintendo's star game designer Shigeru Miyamoto told reporters Thursday the script is mostly finished and is promising a "fun" movie, since Meledandri shares his thinking on creative projects. The movie, two years in the making after a meeting between Meledandri and Miyamoto, is set for global distribution through Universal, which co-owns Illumination, according to the Kyoto-based maker of Pokemon games and the popular Switch machine. They did not give other details.

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2018-02-01 11:03:00

Mario and Minions? Illumination to co-produce Nintendo film

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355118

2 state solution optional? Palestinians puzzled by US view

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A Palestinian official says the goal of establishing a state of Palestine alongside Israel enjoys broad international support, expressing surprise at a Trump administration suggestion that a peace deal may not come in the form of a two-state solution. Husam Zomlot, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, says the "two-state solution is not something we just came up with." Zomlot spoke ahead of a White House meeting on Wednesday between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A White House official has said that it's up to Israelis and Palestinians to decide what peace will entail, and that peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal. Zomlot says it's not clear if the comments signal a shift from long-standing U.S. policy of supporting a two-state deal.

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2017-02-15 16:58:00

2 state solution optional? Palestinians puzzled by US view

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095547

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Kaohsiung taps influence of online celebrities to lure visitors from Southeast Asia

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Three online celebrities from Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam joined Taiwanese internet celebrities on a round-the-clock nonstop journey exploring Kaohsiung in May at the invitation of the Bureau of Information, Kaohsiung City Government. Keeris Nith from Thailand, Rebecca from Singapore, and Mai Kỳ Hân from Vietnam – with a combined 100,000 followers on Instagram and whose photos feature topics spanning fashion, cuisine, and recreation -- visited Taiwan's main southern city to help promote travel to Kaohsiung. Their posts of photos about the trip have since garnered numerous likes and sparked the interest of netizens in the port city from respective countries, according to a press release by the Bureau. The trip involved stops at some of Kaohsiung’s iconic tourist attractions and landmarks, including Kaohsiung MRT Formosa Boulevard Station (美麗島站), known for its “Dome of Light” stained glass work; the Center of Old Fengshan City History (見成館), where visitors can learn about the city’s history; Pier-2 Art Center (駁二藝術特區), showcasing Kaohsiung’s artistic vibes; and the Circular Light Rail (環狀輕軌). According to Bureau of Information Director Chang Chia-hsing (張家興), the City seeks to take advantage of the increasingly influential social media to boost its international profile. He believes the recommendation of the celebrities can serve as a motivation for followers to consider visiting Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung was named one of the “Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2018” by Lonely Planet, becoming the only Asian city to make the list, Chang added.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-19 08:42:54

Posts by internet celebs from Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam about Kaohsiung have been well received in respective countries.Three online celebrities from Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam joined Taiwanese internet celebrities on a round-the-clock nonstop journey exploring Kaohsiung in May at the invitation of the Bureau of Information, Kaohsiung City Government.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474003

Premier Li Keqiang promises China's economy 'will open even wider,' Beijing will eliminate import tariffs on drugs

BEIJING (AP) — Premier Li Keqiang promises China's economy 'will open even wider,' Beijing will eliminate import tariffs on drugs.

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2018-03-20 10:59:00

Premier Li Keqiang promises China's economy 'will open even wider,' Beijing will eliminate import tariffs on drugs

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385992

Ambulance crash in western NY kills 77-year-old passenger

DUNKIRK, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a 77-year-old western New York man has died after the ambulance transporting him from a Pennsylvania hospital to a nursing home crashed into a ditch. New York State Police say an EmergyCare ambulance left the road at about 5:40 p.m. Tuesday, entered a ditch and hit a culvert in the Chautauqua (shuh-TAW'-kwuh) County town of Dunkirk, 35 miles southwest of Buffalo. Troopers say the ambulance was taking Arthur McArthur, of Dunkirk, from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Erie to a nursing home in Chautauqua County. Police say McArthur suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The ambulance's 49-year-old driver was treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The crash is under investigation.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 21:34:00

Ambulance crash in western NY kills 77-year-old passenger

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095790

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Meg Gardiner's 'Black Nowhere' has strong female character

"Into the Black Nowhere: an UNSUB novel" (Dutton), by Meg Gardiner Meg Gardiner's follow-up to her best-selling "UNSUB" novel continues the riveting adventure of FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix. Saturday nights in southern Texas have become dangerous as a result of a killer who appears to use charisma to charm his victims into letting down their guard. Women have been abducted in plain sight, and one person was abducted from a crowded movie theater. When two of the victims are found wearing a white nightgown and surrounded by Polaroid photos, the evidence suggests there are more victims than first thought. Before Hendrix can truly profile the killer, a possible suspect is revealed. Now she must prove her suspicions. What starts as a forensic gathering of evidence turns into a deadly game, and Caitlin channels the TV detective Columbo as she frequently questions the suspect while waiting for him to slip or reveal his killer instinct. But is he really the culprit? Novels that deal with serial killers have a tendency to dive into depravity and gruesome violence to tell the story. It becomes about the shock rather than the law enforcement path to justice. Gardiner doesn't fall into that trap with "Into the Black Nowhere," and when it comes close to that line, she veers away. This series is all about Caitlin's character and the collection of facts and uncovering of clues to stop the madness. She is also a strong female character who is never the victim, and that is rare in this genre. ___ Online: http://meggardiner.com/

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2018-01-31 00:21:00

Meg Gardiner's 'Black Nowhere' has strong female character

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354341

Mkhitaryan out to prove he can cut it in English soccer

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's farewell note to Manchester United's fans said much about his state of mind. "At this stage of my career," he wrote on Instagram after moving to Arsenal in exchange for Alexis Sanchez, "I simply have to enjoy myself on the pitch and play." By the end of his time at United, he did neither. Mkhitaryan's underwhelming 18-month spell at Old Trafford ended just like it started: Substituted at halftime in a match, with United supporters at Old Trafford wondering if this really was the same player who joined for $33.5 million after starring in the German league for Borussia Dortmund. The last sighting of Mkhitaryan in the red of United was 45 error-strewn minutes in an FA Cup match against second-tier club Derby County. He gave the ball away, his first touch let him down, and he didn't reappear after halftime. That was almost a month ago. Now it's time to see if Arsene Wenger can do what Jose Mourinho failed to do, and get the best out of Mkhitaryan. The Armenia captain is set to make his debut for Arsenal at Swansea in the Premier League on Wednesday and Wenger's naturally attacking philosophy should suit Mkhitaryan. "Until now, he has played in a wide role," Wenger said, "but he can certainly absorb that role in a kind of winger or playmaker. I don't rule it out for him to become a box-to-box player." Wherever he ends up, Mkhitaryan is unlikely to face the tactical rigidity he had under Mourinho and should be free to express himself more going forward. At least that is what his national team coach thinks. "We are very happy with this transfer from Manchester United," Armenia coach Artur Petrosyan said. "His style of play will be better suited at Arsenal. "It is my impression that I think Henrikh had a problem with the coach (Mourinho) and, at Arsenal, it will be another thing and not the same situation. There will not be so much pressure on him defensively." Mkhitaryan started one league game for United in the last two months so he might need time to get up to speed at Arsenal. He could end up as one of the two playmakers — alongside Mesut Ozil — behind the striker in a 3-4-2-1 formation or as a wide forward in a 4-3-3, which is where he was deployed at Dortmund when he scored 23 goals and set up 32 more in his final season. He needs to show he is cut out for the physicality and intensity of the Premier League, which was the criticism aimed at him by Mourinho. He rarely completed 90 minutes at United and his form fell away after starting the season with five assists in his first three games. Mkhitaryan is best remembered at United for two acrobatic goals — one from a "scorpion kick" in the league against Sunderland and the other from a flying volley in the 2-0 win over Ajax in the Europa League final in Stockholm. They were flashes of brilliance in an otherwise forgettable period of his career. Arsenal is a fresh start. ___ OLD RIVAL Mkhitaryan will be hoping to settle at Arsenal as quickly as Sanchez has at United. The Chile forward set up two goals and was heavily involved in United's 4-0 win over fourth-tier club Yeovil Town in the FA Cup on Friday. A much sterner test awaits in the form of Tottenham in the league on Wednesday, but it was still encouraging for Sanchez. The question now is who, out of Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, misses out to accommodate Sanchez. With Martial and Lingard in good scoring form in recent months, Mata could be the fall guy. ___ CITY'S INJURIES What Manchester City would give to have Sanchez now. The league leaders turned down the opportunity to sign the forward, saying his financial demands were too much and that the team's harmony might have been disrupted. But now that Leroy Sane has joined Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines with an injury sustained in the FA Cup on Sunday, City is short of attacking options. There isn't much cover behind what should be a front three of Raheem Sterling, Serio Aguero and Bernardo Silva for City's home match against West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday. City leads United by 12 points with 14 games left. ___ Steve Douglas is at www.twitter.com/sdouglas80

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-29 20:28:00

Mkhitaryan out to prove he can cut it in English soccer

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353833

Class-action suit sought over 1966 Spain H-bomb accident

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A federal appeals court has been asked to allow a class-action lawsuit against the Veterans Affairs Department by veterans who say they became ill from radiation exposure after responding to a 1966 accident involving U.S. hydrogen bombs in Spain. Yale Law School students in Connecticut filed the request Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims on behalf of veterans who sought disability benefits from the VA but were denied. The students represent Air Force veteran Victor Skaar, of Nixa, Missouri, and want to expand the lawsuit to include other veterans. VA officials did not immediately return messages Monday. Radioactive plutonium was released near Palomares, Spain, in January 1966, after a U.S. B-52 bomber and refueling plane crashed. Four hydrogen bombs crashed, but there were no nuclear explosions.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 01:54:00

Class-action suit sought over 1966 Spain H-bomb accident

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318166

Markets Right Now: Earnings drive early gains for US stocks

NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (All times local): 9:35 a.m. Stocks are opening solidly higher on Wall Street after a number of big U.S. companies reported strong quarterly earnings. Boeing jumped 6 percent in early trading Wednesday. The aerospace giant has been the biggest gainer in the Dow Jones industrial average over the past year. Xerox rose 10.5 percent after reporting a strong quarter of its own. Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices rose 4.7 percent and Electronic Arts rose 8.6 percent. The early gains recovered some of the ground the market lost a day earlier, when it had its biggest drop since August. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 15 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,837. The Dow rose 238 points, or 0.9 percent, to 26,318. The Nasdaq climbed 48 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,451.

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2018-01-31 22:43:00

Markets Right Now: Earnings drive early gains for US stocks

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354820

Crash marks 1st death involving fully autonomous vehicle

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — A fatal pedestrian crash involving a self-driving Uber SUV in a Phoenix suburb could have far-reaching consequences for the new technology as automakers and other companies race to be the first with cars that operate on their own. The crash Sunday night in Tempe was the first death involving a full autonomous test vehicle. The Volvo was in self-driving mode with a human backup driver at the wheel when it struck 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg as she was walking a bicycle outside the lines of a crosswalk in Tempe, police said. Uber immediately suspended all road-testing of such autos in the Phoenix area, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto. The ride-sharing company has been testing self-driving vehicles for months as it competes with other technology companies and automakers like Ford and General Motors. Though many in the industries had been dreading a fatal crash they knew it was inevitable. Tempe police Sgt. Ronald Elcock said local authorities haven't determined fault but urged people to use crosswalks. He told reporters at a news conference Monday the Uber vehicle was traveling around 40 mph when it hit Helzberg immediately as she stepped on to the street. Neither she nor the backup driver showed signs of impairment, he said. "The pedestrian was outside of the crosswalk, so it was midblock," Elcock said. "And as soon as she walked into the lane of traffic, she was struck by the vehicle." The National Transportation Safety Board, which makes recommendations for preventing crashes, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which can enact regulations, sent investigators. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi expressed condolences on his Twitter account and said the company is cooperating with investigators. The public's image of the vehicles will be defined by stories like the crash in Tempe, said Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor who studies self-driving vehicles. It may turn out that there was nothing either the vehicle or its human backup could have done to avoid the crash, he said. Either way, the fatality could hurt the technology's image and lead to a push for more regulations at the state and federal levels, Smith said. Autonomous vehicles with laser, radar and camera sensors and sophisticated computers have been billed as the way to reduce the more than 40,000 traffic deaths a year in the U.S. alone. Ninety-four percent of crashes are caused by human error, the government says. Self-driving vehicles don't drive drunk, don't get sleepy and aren't easily distracted. But they do have faults. "We should be concerned about automated driving," Smith said. "We should be terrified about human driving." In 2016, the latest year available, more than 6,000 U.S. pedestrians were killed by vehicles. The federal government has voluntary guidelines for companies that want to test autonomous vehicles, leaving much of the regulation up to states. Many states, including Michigan and Arizona, have taken a largely hands-off approach, hoping to gain jobs from the new technology, while California and others have taken a harder line. California is among states that require manufacturers to report any incidents during the testing phase. As of early March, the state's motor vehicle agency had received 59 such reports. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey used light regulations to entice Uber to the state after the company had a shaky rollout of test cars in San Francisco. Arizona has no reporting requirements. Hundreds of vehicles with automated driving systems have been on Arizona's roads. Ducey's office expressed sympathy for Herzberg's family and said safety is the top priority. The crash in Arizona isn't the first involving an Uber autonomous test vehicle. In March 2017, an Uber SUV flipped onto its side, also in Tempe. No serious injuries were reported, and the driver of the other car was cited for a violation. Herzberg's death is the first involving an autonomous test vehicle but not the first in a car with some self-driving features. The driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in 2016 when his car, operating on its Autopilot system, crashed into a tractor-trailer in Florida. The NTSB said that driver inattention was to blame but that design limitations with the system played a major role in the crash. The U.S. Transportation Department is considering further voluntary guidelines that it says would help foster innovation. Proposals also are pending in Congress, including one that would stop states from regulating autonomous vehicles, Smith said. Peter Kurdock, director of regulatory affairs for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in Washington, said the group sent a letter Monday to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao saying it is concerned about a lack of action and oversight by the department as autonomous vehicles are developed. That letter was planned before the crash. Kurdock said the deadly accident should serve as a "startling reminder" to members of Congress that they need to "think through all the issues to put together the best bill they can to hopefully prevent more of these tragedies from occurring." ___ Krisher reported from Detroit. Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, contributed to this story.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 15:12:00

Crash marks 1st death involving fully autonomous vehicle

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386193

UN visits Puerto Rico to assess help for hurricane victims

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A United Nations expert on extreme poverty and human rights is meeting with hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, marking the first time such an envoy has visited the U.S. territory in recent history. Special rapporteur Philip Alston's trip Monday comes as Puerto Ricans and some government officials voice complaints that the U.S. has not provided sufficient help after Hurricane Maria hit the island on Sept. 20. The Category 4 storm killed dozens of people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes. Ten of the island's 78 municipalities are still without power, and thousands of businesses remain closed. Alston told The Associated Press that there is a disproportionate number of Puerto Ricans living in poverty and that he's trying to assess the effectiveness of measures taken by the federal government.

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2017-12-12 00:00:00

UN visits Puerto Rico to assess help for hurricane victims

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318154

Outdoor gear sales slip as millennials drive shift in habits

DENVER (AP) — Sales of outdoor equipment are slipping as millennials drive changes in U.S. consumer habits by favoring clothes and sporting goods that are less specialized and more versatile, analysts say. Industry retail sales totaled $18.9 billion from December 2016 through November 2017, down 6 percent from the previous 12 months, according to NPD Group, a market research company that tracks trends in two dozen industries. The company announced the numbers this week as manufacturers and buyers gathered in Denver for the Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show, the industry's biggest winter marketplace. Millennials — sometimes defined as people born between 1982 and 2004 — are less likely than the previous generation to demand outdoor gear that stands up to extreme conditions, said Matt Powell, NPD's senior adviser for the sports industry. He used boots as an example. "The hardest, the most extreme condition some of these boots are going to have is walking from the Prius to the craft brewery," he said. Powell also cited mountain bikes, which riders can use on streets or trails without special clothing and usually cost less than specialized road bikes. "I describe it as good-enough products. A product that will get me through most of what I want to do, and a product that is versatile," he said. Millennials are outdoorsy and support environmental preservation and sustainability, Powell said, but they have a different take on health and fitness than their predecessors. They have a more lighthearted approach that involves their friends, he said. Some individual retailers and manufacturers have adapted, but the overall industry has not, Powell said. "I think the outdoor industry has not responded enough to this shift in the mindset of consumers," he said. Greg Thomsen, U.S. managing director for Adidas Outdoors, said his company is focusing on consumers in their 20s and younger. "This industry has been aging for a long time, and it's nice to bring in some new people," he said. Thomsen said millennials like Adidas' Flyloft jacket, which isn't suitable for severely cold weather but still works for outdoor recreation. It's less expensive, easier to care for and more versatile than more a hard-core outdoor jacket, he said, and it's suitable for a day in the mountains or a night on the town. The Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show gives retail buyers a look at goods they can sell starting next fall. About 1,000 manufacturers are showing new products to 11,000 retail buyers at the show, which opened Thursday and runs through Sunday. The 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) expo is packed with nearly everything outdoors people might need, and a few things they might not: Ski parkas and bikinis, snow boots and sandals, axes and accounting software, snowboards and sleds, bicycles and camper vans, packaged food and Colorado whiskey. Displays range from a humble table to elaborate, two-story exhibits with changing rooms or conference tables. Some exhibitors wore clingy ski pants; another wore a Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniform complete with scarlet tunic. This is the first Outdoor Retailer Show since it left its longtime home in Salt Lake City. Some big players in the outdoor industry argued that Utah's political leaders were too hostile toward preserving public lands, so the show moved to Colorado, whose environmental politics are more in tune with the industry's. This week's show is also the first since its producer, Emerald Expositions, acquired the SnowSports Industries America Snow Show, which had been held each January in Denver. Organizers say it's the first time in nearly 30 years that the outdoor and snow industries have a combined show. Snow industry sales, which include skis, snowboards, boots, bindings and other equipment, are faring better than the larger outdoor industry. For the first four months of the current winter season, sales totaled $2 billion, up 7.8 percent ___ Associated Press writer James Anderson contributed to this report. ___ Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/dan%20elliott .

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-27 07:44:00

Outdoor gear sales slip as millennials drive shift in habits

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353750

Box office top 20: 'Coco' tops charts for third weekend

LOS ANGELES (AP) — With "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" set to open this weekend, Disney and Pixar's "Coco" topped the quiet box office charts for the third time in a row. The animated flick earned $18.5 million this weekend, and the only new wide release, "Just Getting Started" starring Morgan Freeman, opened in 10th place with a lackluster $3.2 million. Holdovers mostly populated the top five, with "Justice League" in second place with $9.7 million, "Wonder" in third with $8.4 million, and "Thor: Ragnarok" in fifth place with $6.3 million. No. 4 was "The Disaster Artist," which performed well in its expansion to 840 theaters, bringing in just under $6.4 million. The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by comScore: 1. "Coco," Disney, $18,452,315, 3,748 locations, $4,923 average, $135,658,005, 3 weeks. 2. "Justice League," Warner Bros., $9,664,297, 3,508 locations, $2,755 average, $212,129,668, 4 weeks. 3. "Wonder," Lionsgate, $8,447,762, 3,519 locations, $2,401 average, $100,300,868, 4 weeks. 4. "The Disaster Artist," A24, $6,366,243, 840 locations, $7,579 average, $7,963,017, 2 weeks. 5. "Thor: Ragnarok," Disney, $6,271,374, 3,047 locations, $2,058 average, $301,136,438, 6 weeks. 6. "Daddy's Home 2," Paramount, $5,919,337, 3,263 locations, $1,814 average, $91,078,796, 5 weeks. 7. "Murder On The Orient Express," 20th Century Fox, $5,162,331, 3,089 locations, $1,671 average, $92,769,846, 5 weeks. 8. "The Star," Sony, $3,707,087, 2,976 locations, $1,246 average, $32,311,133, 4 weeks. 9. "Lady Bird," A24, $3,451,822, 1,557 locations, $2,217 average, $22,235,491, 6 weeks. 10. "Just Getting Started," Broad Green Pictures, $3,201,459, 2,161 locations, $1,481 average, $3,201,459, 1 week. 11. "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri," Fox Searchlight, $2,862,109, 1,620 locations, $1,767 average, $18,312,393, 5 Weeks. 12. "A Bad Moms Christmas," STX Entertainment, $2,581,446, 2,124 locations, $1,215 average, $68,702,052, 6 weeks. 13. "The Shape Of Water," Fox Searchlight, $1,141,546, 41 locations, $27,843 average, $1,372,554, 2 weeks. 14. "Roman J. Israel, Esq.," Sony, $871,624, 1,453 locations, $600 average, $11,209,149, 4 weeks. 15. "Darkest Hour," Focus Features, $741,417, 53 locations, $13,989 average, $1,196,325, 3 weeks. 16. "The Man Who Invented Christmas," Bleecker Street, $715,800, 720 locations, $994 average, $4,346,405, 3 weeks. 17. "Call Me By Your Name," Sony Pictures Classics, $285,850, 9 locations, $31,761 average, $1,367,155, 3 weeks. 18. "Blade Runner 2049," Warner Bros., $264,527, 388 locations, $682 average, $91,252,390, 10 weeks. 19. "I, Tonya," Neon Rated, $264,155, 4 locations, $66,039 average, $264,155, 1 week. 20. "The Mountain Between Us," 20th Century Fox, $244,829, 535 locations, $458 average, $30,191,120, 10 weeks. ___ Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

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2017-11-26 00:00:00

Box office top 20: 'Coco' tops charts for third weekend

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318253

Russia denies intelligence contacts with Trump campaign team

MOSCOW (AP) — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied reports of intercepted phone calls between Russian intelligence officials and members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The New York Times said that the Russians made contact with Paul Manafort, who briefly served as Trump's campaign chairman. Current and former U.S. officials interviewed by the Times declined to identify other Trump associates contacted by the Russians. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, pointed to the anonymity of the sources, saying that the reports "are not based on any facts, do not point to actual facts." The report comes a day after U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned following reports he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 18:15:00

Russia denies intelligence contacts with Trump campaign team

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Authorities: Brother of teen charged in Florida school shooting has been arrested for trespassing at the same school

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Authorities: Brother of teen charged in Florida school shooting has been arrested for trespassing at the same school.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 07:49:00

Authorities: Brother of teen charged in Florida school shooting has been arrested for trespassing at the same school

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385861

Stars react to nominations for the 75th Golden Globe Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stars react to the Golden Globe Award nominations announced Monday morning in Beverly Hills, California: — "It was my morning to carpool, so I just dropped the kids off." — Laurie Metcalf, nominated for her supporting role in "Lady Bird," on her not-so-glamorous morning. — "It's a good day when you wake up and find out that your show is on a list with 'Game of Thrones.'" — Dan Fogelman, creator of "This Is Us," nominated for TV drama series. — "I'm descending into nonsensical happy words because I am not, I can't believe it, it's just amazing. It's just amazing." — Greta Gerwig, nominated for writing "Lady Bird," which she also directed. — "I haven't started yet, but I've been looking at a bottle and it's staring me back." — Armie Hammer, on whether it's too early to start drinking Champagne to celebrate his supporting actor nod for "Call Me By Your Name." — "We're having champagne for breakfast!" — Margot Robbie, a double nominee as producer and star of "I, Tonya." — "This is a Chanukah miracle." - Pamela Adlon, up for actress in a TV comedy series for "Better Things." — "We are, in a few hours, we are about to have our London premiere of 'Darkest Hour.' Tonight. So this is sort of a bit of frosting on the cake." — Gary Oldman, nominated for actor in a drama film for his portrayal of Winston Churchill. — "Issa Rae is a hero of mine. I'm going to try not to stalk her at the Globes. I nearly died when I heard my name and hers in the same sentence. I'm dweebing out pretty hard." — Rachel Brosnahan of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," nominated alongside Rae for actress in a TV comedy series. — "What wonderful news on such a snowy day in London." — Judi Dench, nominated for her leading role in "Victoria & Abdul." — "This is good news for Albert Einstein." — Geoffrey Rush, nominated for playing the scientist in "Genius." — "No matter how long you do it, it's an uncertain life, so you're always happy for encouragement. You're always happy for someone to say, 'Keep going. Keep going. We like what you're doing.'" — Willem Dafoe on his supporting actor nod for "The Florida Project." — " I guess what I was really trying to do in retrospect is have a conversation about what it's like to be a woman in the world, and do it while playing a sex worker." — Maggie Gyllenhaal, nominated for her performance in the TV drama "The Deuce." — "To have people recognize me still as a singer and ... you know, just for my work as Mary J. Blige and Florence — it's like yes! It's the cherry on top of the cake." — Mary J. Blige, a double nominee for her supporting performance in "Mudbound" and writing its original song. — "My morning plans are to do a little bit of chores around the house." — Guillermo del Toro, writer and director of Monday's top nominee, "The Shape of Water," on how he'll celebrate. — "Today is my father's birthday, and my father has been dead for many years, but he was a huge supporter of me being an actor. I don't think he was crazy about it at the beginning. But it's really, really fabulous to have this happen on his birthday." — Richard Jenkins, a supporting actor nominee for "The Shape of Water."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 12:00:00

Stars react to nominations for the 75th Golden Globe Awards

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318208

US consumer prices post biggest rise in nearly 4 years

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer prices rose in January at the fastest pace in nearly four years, strengthening the case for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year. The Labor Department says consumer prices rose 0.6 percent last month, most since February 2013. A 7.8 percent jump in gasoline prices accounted for almost half the increase. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, consumer inflation rose 0.3 percent. Overall, consumer prices rose 2.5 percent from a year earlier, most since March 2012. After remaining low following the 2007-2009 Great Recession, inflation is running above the Fed's 2 percent annual target. The Fed left a key interest rate unchanged at its Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting. It said it needs more time to monitor the economy but still expects to raise rates gradually.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 21:35:00

US consumer prices post biggest rise in nearly 4 years

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095791

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Pentagon says it will allow transgender people to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1, despite Trump's opposition

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pentagon says it will allow transgender people to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1, despite Trump's opposition.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 02:06:00

Pentagon says it will allow transgender people to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1, despite Trump's opposition

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318172

The US Open is closed to amateurs winning

ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Jack Nicklaus was good enough to win the U.S. Open as an amateur, and he nearly did. Nicklaus was a 20-year-old U.S. Amateur champion at Cherry Hills, leading by one shot with six holes to play until he missed too many short putts and Arnold Palmer capped off a signature charge to win the 1960 U.S. Open. That explains why Nicklaus had a wry smile when asked if he regarded Marty Fleckman as a threat 50 years ago in the U.S. Open. Fleckman was a 23-year-old amateur, an NCAA champion at Houston and winner of the Texas State Amateur. He had a one-shot lead over Nicklaus, Palmer and Billy Casper in the final round in 1967 at Baltusrol. "Let me put it this way," Nicklaus said. "He was leading after 54 holes. He had a very good chance to win the Open." But he didn't. Amateurs just don't win the U.S. Open anymore, bad news for the 14 amateurs at Erin Hills this week. The last amateur winner was Johnny Goodman in 1933, and there's little evidence that will change. Fleckman and Jim Simons in 1971 were the last ones to have a 54-hole lead. Fleckman shot 80 in the final round that day, quickly stepping aside for a brief Nicklaus-Palmer duel that ended with Nicklaus by four shots, the second of his four U.S. Open titles. Fleckman drove up to Rhode Island the following week and won the prestigious Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett. The U.S. Open, for 83 years and counting, belongs to the pros. "It was a wonderful experience," said Fleckman, the director of golf instruction at Blackhorse Teaching Center in Texas. "I got off to a shaky start. I knew I couldn't win any money, so I tried to attack the golf course. You don't really attack a U.S. Open venue, and I paid the piper." Simons was a threat to the end at Merion. He was one shot behind going to the 18th hole until making a double bogey to finish three shots out of a playoff that Lee Trevino won the following day over Nicklaus. Goodman had such a big lead that he shot 76 and still won the U.S. Open. He later won the U.S. Amateur. Bobby Jones in 1930 at Hoylake is the last amateur to win the British Open. No amateur has ever won the Masters, which also has had its share of close calls, most notably Ken Venturi in 1956 until he shot 80 on the last day. The amateurs at Erin Hills are facing Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day. The gap between the pros and the amateurs is growing by the year, especially as the competition at the professional level is stronger than ever. "If it's going to be done, it would be at the U.S. Open, where you can get on the good side of the draw and par is a good score and you're not giving anything to the field," Spieth said. "I imagine it will be done." Not by him. He was low amateur in 2012, but he wasn't the best teenager at Olympic Club until it was over and 17-year-old Beau Hossler stumbled at the end. Jordan Niebrugge, who was to hit the opening tee shot at Erin Hills on Thursday, was the low amateur at St. Andrews in the 2015 British Open, and he wasn't even the amateur attraction that week. Paul Dunne of Ireland shared the 54-hole lead with Day and Louis Oosthuizen, but fell back quickly and shot 78. Dunne also is at Erin Hills. Much like Fleckman in 1967, the Irishman looks back on that final round as a great experience sprinkled with regrets. "Major golf courses seem to be set up as different tests from any other week," Dunne said. "Because of that, it can take a few people by surprise. And it can take an amateur by surprise to get in a position he didn't think he'd be in the first place." Dunne, Spieth and Nicklaus would not rule out an amateur winning a major. So why hasn't it happened? The simple answer is because they turn pro. Jon Rahm was low amateur at Oakmont last year in the U.S. Open. After a year of playing PGA Tour competition, he is No. 10 in the world and a threat to win this week. Spieth turned pro during his sophomore year at Texas. His game matured against the best. Dunne also considered sheer numbers. "The amateur game is strong," Dunne said. "The top end amateurs, everyone is quite professional in hos they go about their business. It's hard to see it happening because there are so few amateurs. If you took the top 75 ranked players, and let in the next 75 top amateurs, you'd definitely have an amateur winner in a few years." Nicklaus still believes if a player is good enough, he can win anywhere, like he almost did in 1960. A year later, still an amateur, Nicklaus tied for seventh in the Masters and tied for fourth in the U.S. Open. And the year after that, he beat Palmer in a playoff at Oakmont for the first of his 18 majors. "Most of them don't stay amateur very long," Nicklaus said of today's crop. "If I had stayed amateur, do I think I would have won it? Yeah. You have amateurs who are good players, but they usually turn pro before they get real good."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 00:00:00

The US Open is closed to amateurs winning

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188495

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Kelly says teacher 'ought to go to hell' for military rant

PICO RIVERA, Calif. (AP) — White House Chief of Staff John Kelly says a Los Angeles-area high school teacher "ought to go to hell" for disparaging U.S. military service members in classroom remarks. The retired Marine general blasted Gregory Salcido on Wednesday during an interview with Fox News Radio. Salcido is on leave from El Rancho High School in suburban Pico Rivera. A video surfaced on Friday in which the teacher is heard berating a 17-year-old student who wore a Marine Corps sweatshirt. Salcido uses crude terms to describe people who join the military and refers to them as the "lowest of our low." He urges the student not to join the military. Salcido told the Los Angeles Times he wouldn't comment because he and his family have received "vulgar and violent threats."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 10:13:00

Kelly says teacher 'ought to go to hell' for military rant

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355095

Plenty of fire and fury at 60th annual Grammy Awards

Just as the Hollywood award shows this year have been dominated by the Time's Up movement, the 60th annual Grammy Awards became a platform for artists to address sexual harassment and abuse, but also President Donald Trump, immigration and gun violence. Artists arrived on the red carpet with white roses to show support for female equality, but others skewered Trump or criticized his administration's treatment of immigrants with the Statue of Liberty serving as a backdrop. Kendrick Lamar opened the show with a gun-rattling performance while country stars mourned victims of the country's largest mass shooting. These are the top moments of Sunday's Grammy Awards: __ FIRE AND FURY The Grammy Awards didn't hold back in a pre-recorded skit aimed at President Trump, which featured a surprise appearance by Hillary Clinton and others reading embarrassing passages from the Trump tell-all "Fire And Fury." The skit featured musicians such as John Legend, Cher, Snoop Dogg and DJ Khaled reading portions of the book as an audition for the audio book. Rapper Cardi B added her own opinion after reading about Trump's regular routines, saying "This is how he lives his life?" But it was Clinton's appearance that gathered the loudest applause from the crowd at Madison Square Garden. Predictably it was a hot topic on Twitter soon after, prompting United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to post that the segment was "trash." __ NOT JUST HOLLYWOOD Janelle Monae pointed her finger at the music industry's role and responsibility following a wave of sexual harassment and abuse scandals that have rocked Hollywood. "It's not just going in Hollywood," Monae announced during the show. "It's not just going on in Washington. It's right here in our industry as well." Kesha delivered the most powerful performance of her career as she sang "Praying," backed by a chorus of women in white, with her emotions raw on her face and in her voice. The pop singer, who has accused her former producer Dr. Luke of raping and drugging her, sang directly to overcoming an abusive relationship and finding forgiveness. (Dr. Luke has denied her accusations.) At the end, the women embraced Kesha in a group hug. __ ACTS OF VIOLENCE The Grammys opened the show with a mix of rap, rock and comedy featuring Kendrick Lamar, U2 and Dave Chappelle. Lamar has a history at the Grammys of combining performance art and music, which he did again with an army of marching camouflaged dancers in front of the images of the American flag. Lamar performed "XXX" with Bono and The Edge, with Chappelle adding moments of levity, while the screen declared "This is a satire by Kendrick Lamar." But he ended the performance as the sound of gun shots filled the air behind his rapid fire rapping and his backup dancers fell to the floor one by one. Later on in the Grammy show, three country artists gathered in a solemn tribute to victims of a mass shooting at a Las Vegas country music festival and a bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in England. Seated in front of names of victims, the stoic Eric Church seemed to struggle behind his sunglasses to get through a performance of Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven," along with Maren Morris and Brothers Osborne. __ A COUNTRY OF DREAMERS Singer Camila Cabello, a Cuban-Mexican immigrant brought to the United States as a child, spoke about the American dream in a thinly veiled reference to the Trump administration's policies on immigration. "This country was built by dreamers for dreamers," said Cabello, a likely reference to the group of young immigrants protected under the Obama-era program that was canceled by Trump last year. After a reading of the poem that is etched into the base of the Statue of Liberty, Irish rock band U2 used the iconic image as a backdrop for a pre-recorded performance of "Get Out of Your Own Way" from a barge in the Hudson River. Even Sting's performance of his 1987 song "Englishman in New York," seemed a bit more on the nose as the country deals with reforming immigration laws. __ DANCER DUET Elton John and Miley Cyrus had one of the most talked-about moments at the 2018 Grammy awards with a powerhouse rendition of John's ballad "Tiny Dancer." John's 1972 single never won a Grammy, but is now considered a classic. John began the song, sitting a piano topped with a white rose, symbol of the "Time's Up" movement. Cyrus, in a flowing red Zac Posen gown, joined in to give the song a country tinge. The duet drew praise on social media, with former "Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek Tweeting "bravo" to Cyrus. Last week, 70-year-old John announced details of a three-year world tour that he says will be his last. __ MUSICAL REWIND It may have been the 60th anniversary of the Grammy Awards, but Bruno Mars brought the show back to the '90s with a colorful performance of his song "Finesse." Mars was the big winner of the night with six awards and beating out leading nominee Jay-Z. Together with rapper Cardi B, the performance was musical and cultural homage to new jack swing, "In Living Color" and Mars' brand of funk and R&B. Cardi B kept up with Mars and his band's killer dance moves, while showing off her own flamboyant skills on the mic. __ BACK TO BROADWAY The Grammy Awards returned to New York City for the first time in more than a decade with a nod to the city's rich history of musical theater. Tony Award winners Ben Platt and Patti LuPone delivered impressive tributes to composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Leonard Bernstein. LuPone returned to her iconic performance from "Evita" with a symphony backing her on "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," proving she is among Broadway's greatest singers. __ Online: www.grammy.com ___ For full coverage of awards season, visit: https://apnews.com/tag/AwardsSeason

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-29 20:32:00

Plenty of fire and fury at 60th annual Grammy Awards

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353842

AP Interview: Pullman reveals 'His Dark Materials' follow-up

LONDON (AP) — Here are words millions of readers have waited many years to hear: Lyra Belacqua, and her daemon, are back. The irrepressible young heroine of Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy "His Dark Materials" returns in a new novel being published in Britain and the U.S. on Oct. 19, the first part of a new three-book series collectively entitled "The Book of Dust." For readers and booksellers, this is news to rival the discovery of a new Harry Potter story. "His Dark Materials" has sold more than 17.5 million copies around the world. It spawned a Hollywood movie, "The Golden Compass," and a hit stage adaptation. Published between 1995 and 2000, the first three novels — "Northern Lights," ''The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass" — took Lyra from her home at Oxford University's ancient Jordan College to the North Pole and into parallel worlds on a twisting, hazardous quest. (The first book was retitled "The Golden Compass" in North America). In Lyra's intriguingly unfamiliar world, Victorian-style technology mixes with advanced science and society is overshadowed by an oppressive religious hierarchy known as the Magisterium. Humans live alongside witches and armored polar bears, and every person is accompanied by an animal companion known as a daemon (pronounced demon) — essentially their soul made flesh. Yet the 70-year-old Pullman hesitates to call his books fantasy. "I prefer to think I am writing realism," he said. "I'm writing realism about a different place." Speaking to The Associated Press from his home in Oxford, Pullman scrupulously guards the secrets of the new book. Even its title has yet to be disclosed. The new book begins a decade before the start of the original trilogy, but Pullman says is not a prequel. Nor is it a sequel. Pullman prefers to call it an "equel," or companion story. "The first part will deal with something that happened when Lyra was less than 1 year old," he said. "So in that sense she's the center of the story, but she's not actually an agent in the story. She is acted upon, so to speak, by other people who are very important. "The second part, which will come out later, will deal with events when Lyra is about 20." There's a new hero — a boy readers have encountered before "if we were paying attention" — and "a terrifying adventure that takes him into a new world." Multiple worlds abound in Pullman's complex, philosophically rich fictional multiverse. And Pullman says we will learn a lot more about the nature of Dust, a mysterious substance loathed by the religious authorities in "His Dark Materials." "The Book of Dust," published in the U.S. by Random House Children's and in the U.K. by Penguin Random House Children's and David Fickling Books, is likely to be one of the autumn's biggest sellers. James Daunt, managing director of Britain's Waterstone's book store chain, says Pullman ranks with J.K. Rowling in his impact on publishing and reading. Daunt said a generation of young readers "read first Harry Potter, then the complex, gripping and provocative 'His Dark Materials.'" "Other books, other authors make claims and bring huge rewards, but these two imprint on everyone who calls themselves a reader," Daunt said. For fans, the mischievous Lyra is one of fiction's great child characters, up there with Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Scout Finch from Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." Pullman calls her "this awkward, difficult, prying, nosy, lying, greedy, untrustworthy child." "She's not a special child," he said. "She's not divinely gifted or anything like that. But she does have certain characteristics that lead her into trouble and which help her get out of trouble." Some critics have ranked Pullman's trilogy alongside J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy saga "The Lord of the Rings," though he doesn't particularly like the comparison. In Tolkien's Middle Earth, he says, "what's good is good and what's bad is bad and there isn't very much discussion about it." Pullman prefers fantasy which wrestles with moral ambiguity and has "one foot firmly in this world." He is also often contrasted with C.S. Lewis, whose saga "The Chronicles of Narnia" has large doses of Christian allegory. Pullman has called himself an atheist, and some Christian groups have objected to his negative depiction of organized religion. "His Dark Materials" has been pulled from some Catholic school library shelves in Canada and the United States over the years. Pullman says he thinks most objections to his books come from people who haven't read them. "His Dark Materials" took its title form John Milton's biblical epic poem "Paradise Lost," and Pullman's saga has a searching spirituality running alongside its mistrust of organized religion. He says "The Book of Dust" centers on "the struggle between a despotic and totalitarian organization, which wants to stifle speculation and inquiry, and those who believe thought and speech should be free." Global events make that a more pressing and urgent struggle than ever. Pullman says he doesn't try to draw overt parallels with the real world, but "they are always present in my mind." "Why do we vote into power people who seem to have the interests of themselves and other large, powerful people in mind rather than ours?" he said. "Why do we vote to do something so obviously self-destructive as leaving the European Union? "I might not be writing about Donald Trump or Brexit or Nigel Farage directly in 'The Book of Dust,'" he added, but the "questions they pose and the situations they set up are very much part of the world that I'm writing about." ___ Follow Jill Lawless on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 08:02:00

AP Interview: Pullman reveals 'His Dark Materials' follow-up

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095162

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New European mission to detect threats in the Mediterranean

ROME (AP) — A European border agency is launching a new Mediterranean Sea operation with a focus on detecting terror threats. The Frontex agency says Joint Operation Themis starts Thursday in the central Mediterranean. Its vessels will still rescue migrants from human traffickers' boats but the operation will also involve "intelligence-gathering and other steps aimed at detecting foreign fighters and other terrorist threats at the external borders" of Europe. Themis' operational area will span the waters off Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Turkey and Albania. The security component will also help Italy fight drug smuggling across the Adriatic Sea. Frontex executive director Fabrice Leggeri said Themis will "better reflect the changing patterns of migration, as well as cross-border crime." There has a recent uptick in African migrants trying to reach Spain across the Mediterranean.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

New European mission to detect threats in the Mediterranean

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354921

President Trump says US troops will be coming home, but wants to leave 'strong and lasting footprint' in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Trump says US troops will be coming home, but wants to leave 'strong and lasting footprint' in Syria.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 01:14:00

President Trump says US troops will be coming home, but wants to leave 'strong and lasting footprint' in Syria

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413391

Eurozone economy enjoys its best year in a decade

LONDON (AP) — The eurozone economy, for so long a source of uncertainty, has enjoyed its best year in a decade, clear evidence it has broken out of its prolonged and acute debt crisis that raised fears about the very survival of the euro currency. In its first estimate for the fourth quarter, Eurostat, the European Union's statistics agency, said Tuesday that the eurozone expanded by 0.6 percent in the October-December period from the three months before. That more-than-healthy level of growth means that for the whole of 2017, the eurozone economy expanded by 2.5 percent, its best performance since 2007, when it grew 3 percent. The eurozone even grew faster than the U.S., which expanded by 2.3 percent. In the decade since 2007, the eurozone has had to grapple with one crisis after another, starting with the financial crash of 2008 that prompted the deepest worldwide recession since World War II. That exposed the weak underbelly of the eurozone — the state of the public finances in a number of member economies. Four countries — Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus — had to be bailed out by their partners in the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund, and in return they made deep budget cuts to get their public finances into shape, hitting their economies hard. The Greek economy, for example, shed around a quarter of its output, and saw unemployment and poverty levels ratchet higher. It's only recently that fears of a eurozone break-up have eased. Greece, notably, is set to emerge from its bailout era this summer, eight years after it first faced potential bankruptcy. With fears of a break-up of the eurozone largely evaporated, confidence across the bloc has risen. That's evident in the fact that growth isn't just reliant on the big economies of Germany and France. Stronger growth is being recorded in those countries that were at the forefront of the crisis and that's helping to bring down unemployment, potentially reinforcing the recovery even more. Following the defeat of several populist political movements in elections in 2017, such as in France and the Netherlands, there are fewer fears about the prospect of anti-euro politicians taking the helm. Meanwhile, the recovery has been boosted by the European Central Bank's massive stimulus program and its move to slash interest rates. But the growth boon is not just about improvements in the eurozone. The global economy, in particular trade, is on the up, and that's supporting the eurozone's exporters. That combination of positive factors is widely expected to hold in 2018 and growth is anticipated to come in around 2017's level. Two potential headwinds are the recent appreciation in the value of the euro, particularly against the dollar, which makes eurozone exports less competitive in international markets, and the prospect of less monetary stimulus from the ECB.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Eurozone economy enjoys its best year in a decade

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354151

Giuliani says he's counseled Trump against firing Sessions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rudy Giuliani says he has repeatedly counseled President Donald Trump against firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions despite the president's ongoing anger over Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe. Giuliani tells The Associated Press that Trump has asked him multiple times — before and since the former New York City mayor joined the president's legal team last month — about whether Sessions should have been fired. He says he doesn't think the president should do it, and says he's told him so. The former mayor adds that he does not believe Trump will fire Sessions.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 06:06:00

Giuliani says he's counseled Trump against firing Sessions

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444584

Unseen for weeks, Melania Trump tweets she's 'feeling great'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump is trying to tamp down speculation about why she's not been seen in public in nearly three weeks. The first lady tweeted Wednesday about the media "working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing. Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people!" Mrs. Trump was last seen in public in the wee hours of May 10 when she joined President Donald Trump to welcome home three Americans released from detention in North Korea. The White House announced four days later that she had been admitted to a hospital to treat a benign kidney condition. The first lady had recently launched her initiative to teach kindness to children.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 04:17:00

Unseen for weeks, Melania Trump tweets she's 'feeling great'

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444533

Comey book sells more than 600,000 copies in first week

NEW YORK (AP) — James Comey's "A Higher Loyalty" had a very big opening week. Flatiron Books announced Tuesday that sales topped 600,000 copies, a number that includes print, audio and e-books. The former FBI director's memoir has been one of the year's most anticipated releases. It includes his accounts of investigating Hillary Clinton's emails and of his awkward encounters with President Donald Trump. Comey, fired by Trump a year ago, has likened the president to a crime boss who values personal loyalty over service to the country. Published April 17, "A Higher Loyalty" is the hottest political book since Michael Wolff's million-selling "Fire and Fury," which came out in January. Both books were published by imprints of Macmillan.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 22:27:00

Comey book sells more than 600,000 copies in first week

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413308

Musgrove beats Cubs on the mound, angers them on the bases

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joe Musgrove pitched seven strong innings and his hard slide led to both teams emptying their benches in another tense moment in the series between NL Central rivals, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Wednesday night. Musgrove (2-0) helped end the Pirates' four-game losing streak by overcoming a shaky first inning to allow one run on seven hits and four walks. He also had five strikeouts, five days after pitching seven scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals to win his Pirates' debut. Musgrove slid hard into second baseman Javier Baez to break up a potential double play in the third inning. Baez was knocked off balance but did not hit the ground. No punches were thrown as both teams milled around the infield and there were no ejections. Umpire crew chief Gerry Davis instituted a video replay review to see if Musgrove interfered with Baez. However, replay officials at Major League Baseball's central office in New York informed Davis that it was not a reviewable play. The Pirates were angered Monday when Anthony Rizzo's slide upended catcher Elias Diaz at home plate, successfully breaking up a potential double play in the eighth inning of Chicago's 7-0 win. The umpiring crew and replay officials ruled Rizzo did not interfere with Diaz. However, Major League Baseball executive Joe Torre informed both clubs Tuesday that Rizzo should have been called for interference for swiping Diaz's right leg. Musgrove began the season on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder. He was acquired with three other players from the Houston Astros in an offseason trade for Gerrit Cole. He outpitched Kyle Hendricks (4-4), who surrendered two runs and seven hits in five innings while striking out one and walking one. The Cubs' three-game winning streak was snapped. Josh Harrison hit the sixth leadoff home run of his career in the bottom of the first inning and Gregory Polanco put the Pirates ahead 2-1 in the second with a sacrifice fly that scored Corey Dickerson, who led off with a triple. Polanco went 0 for 3 and is hitless in his last 21 at-bats. Albert Almora Jr. led off the game with a double and scored on Baez's single as the Cubs took a quick 1-0 lead. However, Musgrove struck out Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell to escape a bases-loaded jam and Chicago wound up stranding 11 runners. Felipe Vazquez pitched a scoreless ninth, getting Kris Bryant to hit a game-ending groundout with two men on, for his 10th save in 13 opportunities. The left-hander blew each of his three previous chances. Pittsburgh's Colin Moran and Chicago's Jason Heyward had three hits apiece. TRAINER'S ROOM Cubs: RHP Yu Darvish was found to have inflammation in his right triceps but no structural damage after undergoing an MRI. Signed to a $126-million, six-year contract in February as a free agent, Darvish last pitched May 20. . RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (right shoulder inflammation) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and RHP Cory Mazzoni was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Edwards felt pain after pitching one scoreless inning in Tuesday night's win over the Pirates. Mazzoni got two outs in a scoreless inning. Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli returned to the lineup after missing three games with flu-like symptoms and was 0 for 4. . RHP Ivan Nova (sprained right ring finger) will miss his second straight start Sunday at St. Louis and either pitch a simulated game or make a minor league rehab start before being activated from the DL. . LHP Enny Romero (left shoulder impingement) has started throwing off the slope of the mound at extended spring training in Bradenton, Florida. UP NEXT Cubs: LHP Jose Quintana (5-4, 4.78 ERA) will start against Mets RHP Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.48) in the opener of a four-game series at New York. Quintana has a 3.18 ERA in five road starts, compared to a 6.66 mark in five home starts. Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (5-3, 3.43) will face Cardinals RHP Jack Flaherty (2-1, 2.15) in the first game of a four-game series at St. Louis. Since winning his first three starts this season, Williams is 2-3 with a 4.14 ERA in eight starts. More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 06:00:00

Musgrove beats Cubs on the mound, angers them on the bases

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444690

Cowboys' Elliott looked the part as rookie, wants an encore

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott plopped a cowboy hat on his head and flashed a wide smile that made him look like someone closing in on a few weeks of vacation. "Feel like a real cowboy," the star Dallas running back said after the second-to-last offseason practice Wednesday. "Do I look the part?" He certainly looked the part in what mattered last year: NFL rushing champion as a rookie fourth overall draft pick. Now the question is the encore, and the offseason handling of a known commodity at a position predisposed to short careers. "We're pushing forward with him," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "We've got to still manage that for him. But certainly we'll want to amp it up this year as far as his ability to affect the game in the run game and the pass game." Elliott missed the first week of offseason practices after hitting his head as a passenger in a car accident, the second straight year he was involved in a car wreck during the offseason program. Still not cleared by the NFL despite authorities dropping a domestic case in Ohio last year, Elliott made headlines again in March when he pulled down a woman's shirt during a St. Patrick's Day parade. As a result, questions about his off-field activities persist. Running backs coach Gary Brown says he sees a more disciplined Elliott, and the former Ohio State star acknowledged easing up on his nightlife in recent weeks as the team's offseason program accelerated. "You learn from your mistakes," Elliott said. "And if you don't, it could be brutal." When Elliott reports to training camp after a five-week break, he'll be preparing for what figures to be a similar workload after he led the NFL with 322 carries for his league-best 1,631 yards. Because Elliott is a good blocker and pass-catcher, the Cowboys really don't have a reason to take their All-Pro off the field, except they know they must. And that's why the question comes up even though Elliott turns just 22 the day the team is scheduled to arrive in California. "You have to learn how much your body can take," said Elliott, the fifth rookie to lead the NFL in rushing since the 1970 merger. "That's really important, so developing a routine, week in, week out, that will keep you fresh, that will keep you from having those nagging injuries." Quarterback Dak Prescott was the fellow rookie sensation who helped the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and top seed in the NFC before losing to Green Bay in a divisional playoff. The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year faces the same encore question. "We're going to get better together," said Prescott, who set rookie records in passer rating (104.9) and completion rate (67.8 percent). "He's kind of my partner in crime. If I need something, he's going to make sure on the field and off the field it happens." Elliott had a 60-yard score and an 83-yard touchdown on a screen pass as a rookie, but breakaway runs top his list of ways to improve in his second season. Brown said drills where Elliott tries to elude defensive backs are one way to work on what they call second-level running. "You try to come up with different creative ways to keep him motivated, other than the way he is motivated already by just being better," Brown said. "But you've still got to give him more. You don't want it to get stale." Elliott is listening. "You can say I've proven myself, but I've got to keep doing that," he said. "So it's all just kind of learning this offense inside out and kind of learning more beyond what I do." ___ More AP NFL: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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2017-06-15 09:06:00

Cowboys' Elliott looked the part as rookie, wants an encore

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188231

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Experts talk about cruising: Trends, issues and tips

MIAMI (AP) — What are the latest cruise trends? Have Caribbean ports recovered post-hurricane? What about the old saying that cruises are for the "overfed, the newlywed and the nearly dead"? Three experts discussed these issues and more Jan. 4 in Miami aboard the Seabourn Sojourn. The panel was taped for The Associated Press' "Get Outta Here!" podcast. Panelists were CruiseCritic.com's Carolyn Spencer Brown, Miami Herald business editor Jane Wooldridge and Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald, chairman of the Cruise Lines International Association. The experts said small ships are booming, but a number of new large ships debut this year, too, reflecting demand. They also said Caribbean ports impacted by hurricanes have reopened. As for cruise stereotypes, today's ships have healthy eating and fitness options, and millennials are showing interest in cruising.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 01:34:00

Experts talk about cruising: Trends, issues and tips

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354886

The Latest: Cuomo touts 'wins' as Cynthia Nixon enters race

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The Latest on Cynthia Nixon running for New York governor (all times local): 5:55 p.m. A spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo is responding to the gubernatorial candidacy of liberal activist Cynthia Nixon by saying Cuomo has delivered more progressive wins than any other Democrat in the country. Former "Sex and the City" star Nixon tweeted Monday that she'll challenge Cuomo in New York's Democratic primary in September. In a campaign video, the public education advocate said, "We want our government to work again." Nixon in recent speeches has called on Democrats nationally to carve out a strong liberal identity instead of being merely the "anti-Trump party." Cuomo's campaign said the two-term governor's progressive wins include legalized gay marriage, tough gun laws, a $15 minimum wage, expanded school funding and a ban on a drilling technique known as fracking. ___ 2:22 p.m. Former "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon said on Twitter Monday that she'll challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York's Democratic primary in September. Her announcement sets up a race pitting an openly gay liberal activist against a two-term incumbent with a $30 million war chest and possible presidential ambitions. In a video on Twitter, the public education advocate said, "We want our government to work again." Nixon in recent speeches has called on Democrats nationally to carve out a strong liberal identity instead of being merely the "anti-Trump party." The 51-year-old Manhattan mother of three is an ally of Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who frequently clashes with Cuomo on various issues. The 60-year-old Cuomo was favored 66 percent to 19 percent over Nixon in a recent Siena College poll.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 06:07:00

The Latest: Cuomo touts 'wins' as Cynthia Nixon enters race

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385835

Siemens sales, orders rise on strengthening global economy

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Industrial equipment maker Siemens AG says its net income rose 12 percent to 2.2 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in the last three months of 2017, helped by one-time gains from the sale of shares in its Osram lighting business and from the U.S. corporate tax cut. The company said results for the quarter — its fiscal first — benefited from the upswing in the global economy. Revenue rose 3 percent to 19.8 billion euros ($24.6 billion) while orders rose 14 percent to 22.5 billion euros. Orders are key to future earnings for the company. CEO Joe Kaeser said Wednesday that "the first quarter underlines the strength of our company." Siemens products include trains, medical imaging machines, and power turbines.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 15:08:00

Siemens sales, orders rise on strengthening global economy

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354693

Hilton Hotels & Resorts Welcomes Iconic Santa Barbara Resort to Portfolio

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Today, Santa Barbara’s iconic beachside destination opens its doors as Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, where guests will enjoy stunning coastal views. All 360 newly-remodeled guest rooms are stylishly appointed with ocean and sky-blue tones, driftwood inspired interiors, private balconies or patios. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005313/en/ Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort (Photo: Business Wire) The resort is a premier meetings and events destination with a wide array of indoor and outdoor event space, perfect for weddings, conferences and gatherings of any size. Centrally located, the landmark property is walking distance from quaint downtown Santa Barbara and easily accessible to Santa Barbara Airport and the Santa Barbara Amtrak Station via complimentary shuttle service. The newly modernized property continues the legacy established by the Fess Parker family while paying homage to the resort’s rich history, stunning location and the unique culture of Santa Barbara. “From its unbeatable location to legacy of exceptional service, Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort represents everything today’s travelers value,” said Joe Berger, executive vice president & president, Americas, Hilton. “With the renovations and repositioning of this resort, we are poised to redefine the guest experience for visitors to this top American destination.” Formerly known as The Fess Parker, A DoubleTree by Hilton Resort, the hotel has undergone a complete renovation and will remain managed by Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and jointly owned by Park Hotels & Resorts along with the Fess Parker family who are proud to continue their 30-year partnership with Hilton. “We look forward to this next chapter for the property and to continuing our long-standing partnership with Hilton,” said Eli and Ashley Parker, son and daughter of Fess Parker. “The resort may have a new look and a new name, but will continue to provide the same first-class visitor experience that has made both locals and travelers feel at home for several decades.” Highlights from Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort include: A Space for Every Occasion Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort offers over 40,000 square feet of flexible space – the largest amount of meeting and event space in the region – ranging from newly renovated indoor/outdoor venues and spectacular outdoor locations. The semi-enclosed Plaza Del Sol boasts 180-degree views of the ocean and a connecting rotunda, perfect for beachside weddings or conference gatherings and the Grand Ball Room & Foyer can host large-scale, indoor events for up to 600 guests. Delectable Dining Savor locally-sourced California cuisine at The Roundhouse, offering all-day dining with a fresh and flavorful menu that changes daily, or Rodney’s Grill, where sustainable seafood and naturally raised meats are paired with the freshest seasonal ingredients Explore the wines of the Central Coast at the iconic Fess Parker Wine Tasting Room, which offers a self-service wine dispensing system Enjoy ocean breezes, a bistro-style menu and full service bar while watching the sunset over outdoor fire pits at The Set Relax with casual grab n’ go options at Java Del Mar or a lunch bite and a blended beverage at the poolside Terraza Del Mar Signature Service & Amenities Travelers seeking a serene retreat need look no further than Spa del Mar, where a variety of massages, facial treatments and salon services promise instant rejuvenation A heated outdoor pool and whirlpool are open year-round along with a 24-hour fitness center bound to entice with ocean views This pet-friendly resort also has a business center, gift shop, car rental desk and offers authentic local experience such as a Bike, Bites + Brews tour, horseback riding tour, wine tasting, golf and tennis on the three well-appointed on-site tennis courts. Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort is also part of Hilton Honors®, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton's 14 distinct hotel brands. Members who book directly have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount that can't be found anywhere else and free standard Wi-Fi. Members also enjoy popular digital tools available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton Honors mobile app, where Hilton Honors members can check-in and choose their room. The hotel is also part of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose corporate responsibility strategy, which fosters sustainable travel and tourism globally. Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort is located at 633 East Cabrillo Boulevard, Santa Barbara, California. For more information or reservations, call +1-805-564-4333 or visit http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/hilton-santa-barbara-beachfront-resort-SBAFPHH/index.html. About Hilton Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, with a portfolio of 14 world-class brands comprising more than 5,200 properties with more than 856,000 rooms, in 105 countries and territories. Hilton is dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the world’s most hospitable company by delivering exceptional experiences – every hotel, every guest, every time. The company's portfolio includes Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton Honors. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose exactly how many Points to combine with money, an exclusive member discount that can’t be found anywhere else, and free standard Wi-Fi. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. About Hilton Hotels & Resorts For nearly a century, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has been proudly welcoming the world's travelers. With more than 575 hotels across six continents, Hilton Hotels & Resorts provides the foundation for memorable travel experiences and values every guest who walks through its doors. As the flagship brand of Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts continues to set the standard for hospitality, providing new product innovations and services to meet guests' evolving needs. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is a part of the award-winning Hilton Honors program. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount that can’t be found anywhere else, free standard Wi-Fi, and digital amenities like digital check-in with room selection and Digital Key (select locations), available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Begin your journey at www.hilton.com, and learn more about the brand by visiting news.hilton.com or following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005313/en/ CONTACT: Kendal Hurley For Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort +1 310 454 3080 kendal@ballantinespr.com or Claudia Schou Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort +1 805 884 8522 Claudia.Schou@hilton.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRAVEL DESTINATIONS VACATION LODGING CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE SOURCE: Hilton Hotels & Resorts Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 08:04 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 08:04 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005313/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 20:04:00

Hilton Hotels & Resorts Welcomes Iconic Santa Barbara Resort to Portfolio

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413665

AppArmor Safety Apps and AppArmor Alert Unified Notification System Receive Platinum Secure Campus Awards

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--AppArmor, the industry standard in custom mobile safety apps for higher education institutions and healthcare facilities across the globe is proud to announce that both the AppArmor Safety Apps and the AppArmor Alert Unified Mass Notification System received the 2018 “Platinum” distinction in this year’s Secure Campus Awards from Campus Security & Life Safety. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005187/en/ AppArmor was the shared Platinum winner of the Emergency Notification/Mass Notification category and the exclusive Platinum winner of the Security & Personal Safety Smartphone Applications. The full list of organizations can be found here. An independent panel of judges from the security industry selected the top entries in the 2018 categories and named them winners using criteria including Features, Innovation, User Friendliness, Interoperability, Quality, Design, Market Opportunity and Impact in the Security Industry, Technical Advances, and Scalability. “As a trusted safety app and mass notification provider for over 170 institutions in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and the Caribbean, AppArmor is thrilled to have been selected by the independent judging panel of career professionals in the security industry” said David Sinkinson, Co-Founder of AppArmor. “Our dedication to secure and scalable emergency response and safety technology are reflected in these two great awards.” President and group publisher of the Infrastructure Solutions Group of 1105 Media, Kevin O’Grady, added: “Campus security has been a real issue across the country lately, so it is great to see all the outstanding products and services that are available to the marketplace. Campus Security & Life Safety’s goal is to continue to educate professionals in this important industry.” AppArmor Safety apps, the flagship product of AppArmor, give organizations over 50 powerful safety features which can be provided to end-users. This includes unlimited push notifications, location services features, geofencing capabilities, and much more. Further, all apps on the platform are fully branded to the organization, leading to 50-100 times more downloads than other safety app options in the market. AppArmor Alert, the unified mass notification system from AppArmor, further complements the safety app push notification offering by including mass email, mass text messages, mass outbound calling, desktop notifications (with optional panic button), social media broadcasting, and more. All mechanisms are aggregated into a single dashboard and fully CAP compliant. Any organizations interested in the platform are encouraged to contact AppArmor for a free no obligation trial of the software. About AppArmor Mobile A division of CutCom Software, AppArmor develops custom mobile safety applications and emergency notification systems for universities, colleges, healthcare facilities and private institutions across the globe. AppArmor is a leader in safety, security, and emergency notification software. To learn more about AppArmor's services, please visit http://www.apparmor.com/ Twitter: @AppArmorMobile View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005187/en/ CONTACT: David Sinkinson, Co-Founder at AppArmor dsinkinson@apparmor.com KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: EDUCATION UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE SECURITY HEALTH PUBLIC POLICY/GOVERNMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT/EMERGENCY SERVICES HOMELAND SECURITY MOBILE/WIRELESS GENERAL HEALTH SOURCE: AppArmor Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 09:23 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 09:23 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005187/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 21:23:00

AppArmor Safety Apps and AppArmor Alert Unified Notification System Receive Platinum Secure Campus Awards

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413685

Bucks F Jabari Parker set to return from knee injury Friday

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bucks forward Jabari Parker is set to return to the court Friday against the New York Knicks, nearly a year after being sidelined with the second major left knee injury of his career. Milwaukee said Monday night that Parker was medically cleared, making the announcement during the second quarter of its 107-95 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. Parker tore his left ACL on Feb. 8, 2017, against Miami. At the time, he was averaging a career-high 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds as one of the franchise cornerstones. Parker tore the same ACL in December 2014, ending his rookie season after 25 games. Milwaukee selected Parker with the second overall pick of the 2014 draft. The return of Parker comes at an important time, about a week before the NBA trade deadline. The Bucks are also trying to reassert themselves as a contender in the East following the firing of coach Jason Kidd. ___ For more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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2018-01-30 14:13:00

Bucks F Jabari Parker set to return from knee injury Friday

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354069

Country music journalist Hazel Smith dies at age 83

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country music journalist, publicist and songwriter Hazel Smith has died. She was 83. Her granddaughter Tara Bruchas said she died at a Nashville hospital on Sunday. Smith is credited with coining the term "outlaw country" in the 1970s. She worked as a publicist for Kinky Friedman and worked out of Tompall Glaser's studio with artists like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. And it was there she came up with the movement's moniker for artists who were bucking Music Row trends. She wrote a regular popular column for "Country Music" magazine, as well as writing for other outlets, and had songs recorded by Tammy Wynette and Dr. Hook. She also worked with Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White and was the host of a CMT series "Southern Fried Flicks."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 05:15:00

Country music journalist Hazel Smith dies at age 83

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385818

China factory activity rises to 8-month high in upbeat sign

HONG KONG (AP) — A monthly survey shows Chinese factory activity has risen to an eight-month high, in a positive sign for the world's No. 2 economy. The official purchasing managers' index released Thursday rose to 51.9 in May from 51.4 the previous month. Readings above 50 indicate expansion, while those below that figure indicate contraction on the index's 100-point scale. The China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing's survey found that production, new export orders and overall new orders all increased from the previous month, indicating an uptick in demand. The latest figures come despite continued tensions between China and the U.S. over the trading relationship between the world's two biggest economies. Activity in China's increasingly important services sector also expanded. The group's non-manufacturing PMI rose to 54.9 for the month from 54.8 previously.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 10:01:00

China factory activity rises to 8-month high in upbeat sign

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444674

Grim reminders of a war in Vietnam, a generation later

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — It's been over for 40-plus years, the war that Americans simply call Vietnam but the Vietnamese refer to as their Resistance War Against America. Yet it lingers in so many ways, as was apparent this week when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis dropped in for a couple of days of defense diplomacy with a former enemy. Although he never served in Vietnam and had not previously visited the country, Mattis has said he learned from a lot of Marines who did. In his meeting with Vietnamese government leaders, Mattis' focus was on a peaceful future. Not the bloody past. Still, the legacy of the conflict that divided America and ultimately unified Vietnam confronted Mattis almost immediately after his arrival on Wednesday as he visited a U.S. office that oversees the search for remains of American servicemen still missing from the war. More than 1,200 Americans are unaccounted for in Vietnam and 350 more are missing in Laos, Cambodia and China, according to the Pentagon's POW-MIA Accounting Agency. That accounting effort, decades in the making and dependent on cooperation from Hanoi, is likely to continue for decades. Later, while talking to his Vietnamese counterpart, Mattis was presented with photo identification cards of two U.S. servicemen from the war. Details weren't made public. More than 58,000 U.S. service members were killed in the war, including more than 1,200 in Cambodia and Laos. Estimates of the number of Vietnamese killed vary widely, from about 2 million to nearly twice that. For the Vietnamese, the war was a continuation of their fight for independence from French colonial masters. And it was quickly followed by a border war with China in 1979. The country reunified and remains communist, although it has opened up to foreign investment. Hanoi is a bustling, vibrant capital city. Among Vietnam's other reminders of the war: environmental damage and unexploded mines. Vietnamese still suffer from the effects of herbicides, including Agent Orange, sprayed by U.S. forces to defoliate the countryside. "We're still remediating the effects of the war," Mattis told reporters Thursday as he flew out of the country. The U.S. government has helped clean up contamination from bases American forces used before completing their withdrawal in 1975. Last year the U.S. and Vietnam finished the first phase of dioxin cleanup at Danang airport. Remarkably, given this history, Vietnam indicated during Mattis's visit that it may permit a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to make a port visit in March — something that has never happened in the postwar period. Just down the street from the hotel where Mattis stayed is Hoa Lo prison, known to the Americans who spent part of the war there as the Hanoi Hilton. Inside are dark reminders of the suffering, the sacrifice and the shackles — not just of the Americans held there but also Vietnamese imprisoned in earlier decades by the French. One of those American prisoners was John McCain, shot down on a bombing mission over Hanoi in 1967, before the U.S. anti-war movement was in full swing. Along the lake from which a badly injured McCain was recovered by his captors stands a concrete marker depicting the captured pilot and noting that his Navy plane was one of several shot down that day. Mattis' motorcade drove by the McCain marker as the Pentagon boss made his way to a lakeside pagoda to show his respect for Vietnamese culture. He told the monk there that he enjoyed the serene setting. "Beautiful. Peaceful. It makes you think more deeply," Mattis said. By coincidence, Mattis' visit came just days before the Vietnamese marked the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive. That series of assaults by the North Vietnamese was timed to coincide with Tet, the Lunar New Year holiday, on Jan. 31, 1968. Militarily it was a failure, but the offensive marked a turning point in the war because it punctured American hopes of certain and swift victory. After Tet, the U.S. began to focus less on how to win and more on how to get out. Even with past hostilities in mind, Mattis said his visit made clear that Americans and Vietnamese have shared interests that in some cases predate the Vietnam War. "Neither of us liked being colonized," he said.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-27 02:43:00

Grim reminders of a war in Vietnam, a generation later

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353758

Latino civil rights leader rescinds Trump letter

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The leader of the oldest Latino civil rights organization in the U.S. said Wednesday he has "rescinded" a letter endorsing President Donald Trump's immigration framework that includes a border wall after receiving angry criticism from members and activists. Roger Rocha, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said he wrote the letter at the request of the Trump administration while the group was in negotiations for an immigration reform compromise. "It's just bad timing because most people think this letter is endorsing what the president said about immigration at the State of the Union," Rocha said. "It's not. The letter was about conversations we had before. We can't help it that the president changed his mind." Rocha wrote Trump this week that the civil rights group would support his plan for a wall and immigration restrictions in exchange for protecting young immigrants brought to the country illegally. "The four pillars which you have outlined, (Border Security, DACA Legalization, Protect the Nuclear Family and Elimination of the Lottery and Repurpose Visas) are items that LULAC can support if they remain within the current framework you have proposed," Rocha wrote in a letter dated Jan. 28. "I encourage you to stay engaged on what you have proposed in order to prevent other variations from being introduced by Congress." The group's endorsement of the border wall and new restrictions on legal immigration drew strong reactions from members and activists across the country who say such policies would hurt Hispanics. "Like everyone else, I'd like Congress to find a permanent solution for DACA students," said LULAC member Ralph Arellanes of Albuquerque, referring to the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. "But the wall ... that's not the message you want to send." On social media, group members and Latino activists attacked Rocha for the letter and criticized him for supporting a plan many called racist. Washington state LULAC Director Diana Perez said Rocha's letter was not approved nor seen by the national board before it was released. "We are working together to address this unfortunate situation and remain united as a civil rights organization with clear purpose and direction," Perez said in a statement. Some members were circulating petitions calling on Rocha to resign. Rocha, of Laredo, Texas, called the reaction "normal LULAC politics" and said he had no intention of stepping down. He said the group is not turning its back on the immigration community and doesn't support any changes that would prevent immigrants from legally requesting their family's entrance into the U.S. "We are the only Latino civil rights group at the table," Rocha said. "We will continue to engage with the administration." ___ Associated Press writer Russell Contreras is a member of the AP's race and ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 07:34:00

Latino civil rights leader rescinds Trump letter

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355059

New coach thinks Australia can survive World Cup group stage

SYDNEY (AP) — New coach Bert van Marwijk is confident Australia can qualify from its soccer World Cup group stage and says he will have the team play his style to get there. A few hours after arriving in Sydney on Thursday, the Dutch coach said at a media conference that there was nothing wrong with the philosophy of his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, but said he is a "realistic coach" who will do what it takes to win. Postecoglou was criticized at times for persevering with a three-man defensive system, and for Australia's lack of finish in front of goal in Asian qualifying when missed opportunities forced them into the difficult playoff route to Russia. He quit as coach in November a week after leading Australia to a two-legged intercontinental playoff win over Honduras. "I have respect for the former coach, (but) I do it in my way," van Marwijk said. "I go to the World Cup with only one thing that counts, (and that's) to survive the first round. Australia will play in Group C at the World Cup with France, Denmark and Peru. "I'm a realistic coach," van Marwijk said. "I like creative football, I like to have the ball, but I also like to win — that is the most important thing." Van Marwijk said his biggest challenge was the short time frame he had to familiarize himself with the current players before the World Cup begins in June. The 65-year-old will have only the international window in March, when Australia play Norway and Colombia in Europe, and perhaps a farewell friendly in Australia. "I have to get to know the players very well in a very short time," he said. "That makes the challenge for me even greater." Van Marwijk, who led Saudi Arabia to direct qualification from Australia's group as an opposition coach, saw physicality as the Socceroos' main strength. "They are strong, physically strong," he said. "The challenge is to let them play in a way that gives them a chance to win games."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 12:49:00

New coach thinks Australia can survive World Cup group stage

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355159

'I'm not a sexist': England women's coach defends character

Rejecting accusations he is a sexist, Phil Neville said Monday he has the character and status to be a role model after taking on the "ultimate job" as coach of England's women's national soccer team. The decision to hire the former Manchester United defender brought scrutiny last week because of his lack of coaching experience and his Twitter postings six years ago that were deemed sexist and misogynistic. "My character stands up to any accusation that has been leveled at me," Neville said after being presented in his new role. "I've lived my life right. I think I have a lot of respect within the game." Questioned for the first time about the tweets, which he sent in 2011 and '12 when still a player at Everton, Neville said "they aren't right today and they weren't then." In one of the Twitter posts from 2012, Neville said he thought women would be "busy preparing breakfast/getting kids ready/making beds" instead of watching cricket like men. The previous year, he said women "always wanted equality until it comes to paying the bills," while another tweet read: "Relax, I'm back chilled- just battered the wife!!! Feel better now!" Neville defended that tweet by saying he was referring to games of table tennis and basketball he had with his wife on holiday, but accepted he was "disappointed" that he used wording that related to domestic violence. "That tweet wasn't sent out as a joke to domestic violence," Neville said. The 41-year-old Neville has taken charge of the No. 3-ranked international team in the women's game, having only had brief spells as an assistant coach with the England under-21 men's team, Man United and Valencia since retiring as a player in 2013. He believes that is enough. "I've coached the best players in the men's game at the top level and I believe that the players I'll be coaching in the England women's team are top, top-class players at the elite level," Neville said. "For us to get from third to first in the world, I think they'll need a coach with that type of experience. "I cannot be more qualified for this job ... The principles that I see in women's football and men's football are very similar. The gap is closing." Neville said he isn't using the job as a "stepping stone" to other positions in the game. "This, for me, is the ultimate job," Neville said. "It doesn't get any better than managing your country." ___ Steve Douglas is at www.twitter.com/sdouglas80

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-29 23:28:00

'I'm not a sexist': England women's coach defends character

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353885

Columbia won't bargain with assistants despite union vote

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University said Tuesday it will not bargain with the graduate student teaching and research assistants who voted overwhelmingly over a year ago to unionize. Columbia Provost John Coatsworth said the university will instead ask a federal appeals court to rule on whether student assistants are workers with the right to collective bargaining. "We remain convinced that the relationship of graduate students to the faculty that instruct them must not be reduced to ordinary terms of employment," Coatsworth said in a letter to the Columbia community. "It is a conviction that, in the end, made this admittedly difficult decision straightforward for us." Columbia graduate students voted 1,602 to 623 in December 2016 to join a union affiliated with the United Auto Workers. The vote came after the National Labor Relations Board ruled that graduate students at private universities had a right to unionize. UAW regional director Julie Kushner said Columbia's refusal to negotiate "shows total and continued disrespect for the democratic will of these workers." "These workers have made their choice clear over and over and will continue to do so, and the UAW will stand with these workers until they achieve the justice they deserve," Kushner said. Graduate students who voted for unionization said they hoped collective bargaining would give them more control over their employment and might lead to higher stipends and better benefits. Olga Brudastova, a research assistant at Columbia's civil engineering and engineering mechanics department, who was a leader of the union drive, called the decision not to bargain "a new low for Columbia." She added, "More than a year after we voted by an overwhelming 72 percent for our union, Columbia manufactures its same old excuses and tries to gloss over the fact they are refusing to respect the law of the land that has now certified our vote."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 07:12:00

Columbia won't bargain with assistants despite union vote

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354520

Arrests after 'Abolish ICE' sign hung from Statue of Liberty

NEW YORK (AP) — Several people have hung a banner emblazoned with a message about abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and have been arrested. National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis says at least six people were taken into custody Wednesday. He says federal code of regulations prohibits hanging banners from the monument. The large banner said "Abolish I.C.E." ICE is a division of the Department of Homeland Security whose officers arrest and deport unauthorized immigrants inside the U.S., among other duties. Activists with the group Rise and Resist say they hung the banner to protest U.S. immigration policy. They oppose President Donald Trump's administration and advocate ending deportations and family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said the president's immigration policy is a step forward for public safety.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-05 04:16:00

Arrests after 'Abolish ICE' sign hung from Statue of Liberty

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474409

Coates hopes 'Black Panther' hype transfers to comic book

WASHINGTON (AP) — As people gear up for the "Black Panther" movie, Ta-Nehisi Coates wants them to check out the original source, Marvel's Black Panther comic book, where he's booting up a massive outer space adventure for the king of Wakanda. The award-winning author and journalist, in an interview with The Associated Press, predicted that the Black Panther movie would "be the best Marvel film so far." "(But) if people want something that they can be deeply involved in, if people want something that raises questions that extend out of the comic book and into the real world, if people want to see some amazing high-tech (stuff), this is a good jumping on point," said Coates, now in his second year writing the adventures one of the first comic books heroes of color for Marvel. The Black Panther is the alter-ego of T'Challa, the leader of Wakanda, a technologically-advanced (but make-believe) African country. A longtime ally and one-time member of both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, T'Challa uses his wealth, inventions, and country's resources to battle against evil from both inside and outside his country's borders while serving as the head of the government. The character got a boost as a supporting character in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War." The much-hyped movie "Black Panther," starring Chadwick Boseman as the eponymous superhero, opens on February 16, picking up the adventures of the African king and superhero. Coates said he's seen parts of next month's movie helmed by "Fruitvale Station" and "Creed" director Ryan Coogler, and calls the director a "superior filmmaker" and a "once-in-a-generation talent." "Black people have not really had avatars out there like that they can identify with, and Panther is the biggest one right now," Coates said. "I think what Ryan is going to do in terms of how this is going to look is going to blow people away ... It feels like thematically a natural tie." Coates wrote his first Black Panther comic book in 2016 but the series is getting a new start in April with a story line called "The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda," where T'Challa discovers some of his Wakandan subjects have colonized alien planets in his name and created a civilization where he's almost worshipped as a god. "This is not even just about T'Challa being in space or the idea of Wakanda in space. There have been core questions about kings, responsibly and morality that have extended throughout the book," he said. "There have been core questions especially this year about the nature of divinity and gods and this Intergalactic Empire is an extension of that." Coates is best known for his political and social commentary. He won the National Book Award last year for "Between the World and Me," an anguished meditation on police violence against blacks. He also released "We Were Eight Years in Power," which collects his writings about Obama, last year. Earlier this month, Coates deleted his widely followed Twitter accounted; it followed after criticism from activist Cornel West became a hot and much debated topic on social media. Coates said he feels his departure from Twitter is akin to getting out of a dysfunctional relationship. "I miss it, but Twitter is that bad girlfriend I had to catch in bed with two dudes in order to leave, that I knew was a bad girlfriend before that, that I knew I should have left, so I did and I'm gone and I'm glad she's out of my life," he said. Coates is also not interested in talking about West. "I wish Cornel the best. It's the 25th anniversary of his book, 'Race Matters' and I don't really want to do anything that would overshadow the work that he's doing. I also don't want to do anything to overshadow the work I'm doing," he said. ___ Online: http://ta-nehisicoates.com/ ___ Jesse J. Holland covers race and ethnicity for The Associated Press. Contact him at jholland@ap.org, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jessejholland or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jessejholland. You can read his stories at AP at http://bit.ly/storiesbyjessejholland . He is also the author of a number of non-fiction and fiction books, including "Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther?" which is a novel based on the Black Panther character.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 04:40:00

Coates hopes 'Black Panther' hype transfers to comic book

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354434

Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2017: 'Feminism'

NEW YORK (AP) — This may or may not come as a surprise: Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2017 is "feminism." Yes, it's been a big year or two or 100 for the word. In 2017, lookups for feminism increased 70 percent over 2016 on Merriam-Webster.com and spiked several times after key events, lexicographer Peter Sokolowski, the company's editor at large, told The Associated Press ahead of Tuesday's annual word reveal. There was the Women's March on Washington in January, along with sister demonstrations around the globe. And heading into the year was Democrat Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and references linking her to white-clad suffragettes, along with her loss to President Donald Trump, who once boasted about grabbing women. The "Me Too" movement rose out of Harvey Weinstein's dust, and other "silence breakers" brought down rich and famous men of media, politics and the entertainment worlds. Feminism has been in Merriam-Webster's annual Top 10 for the last few years, including sharing word-of-the-year honors with other "isms" in 2015. Socialism, fascism, racism, communism, capitalism and terrorism rounded out the bunch. Surreal was the word of the year last year. "The word feminism was being use in a kind of general way," Sokolowski said by phone from the company's headquarters in Springfield, Massachusetts. "The feminism of this big protest, but it was also used in a kind of specific way: What does it mean to be a feminist in 2017? Those kinds of questions are the kinds of things, I think, that send people to the dictionary." Feminism's roots are in the Latin for "woman" and the word "female," which dates to 14th century English. Sokolowski had to look no further than his company's founder, Noah Webster, for the first dictionary reference, in 1841, which isn't all that old in the history of English. "It was a very new word at that time," Sokolowski said. "His definition is not the definition that you and I would understand today. His definition was, 'The qualities of females,' so basically feminism to Noah Webster meant femaleness. We do see evidence that the word was used in the 19th century in a medical sense, for the physical characteristics of a developing teenager, before it was used as a political term, if you will." Webster added the word in revisions to his "An American Dictionary of the English Language." They were his last. He died in 1843. He also added the word terrorism that year. "We had no idea he was the original dictionary source of feminism. We don't have a lot of evidence of what he was looking at," Sokolowski said. Today, Merriam-Webster defines feminism as the "theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes" and "organized activities on behalf of women's rights and interests." Another spike for the word feminism in 2017 occurred in February, after Kellyanne Conway spoke at the Conservative Political Action Committee. "It's difficult for me to call myself a feminist in the classic sense because it seems to be very anti-male and it certainly seems to be very pro-abortion. I'm neither anti-male or pro-abortion," she said. "There's an individual feminism, if you will, that you make your own choices. ... I look at myself as a product of my choices, not a victim of my circumstances. And to me, that's what conservative feminism is all about." She was applauded, and she sent many people to their dictionaries, Sokolowski said. The company would not release actual lookup numbers. Other events that drew interest to the word feminism was the popular Hulu series, "The Handmaid's Tale," and the blockbuster movie, "Wonder Woman," directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins, Sokolowski said. Merriam-Webster had nine runners-up, in no particular order: — Complicit , competitor Dictionary.com's word of the year. — Recuse , in reference to Jeff Sessions and the Russia investigation. — Empathy , which hung high all year. — Dotard , used by Kim Jong-un to describe Trump. — Syzygy , the nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon and earth during a solar or lunar eclipse. — Gyro , which can be pronounced three different ways, a phenom celebrated in a Jimmy Fallon sketch on "The Tonight Show." — Federalism , which Lindsey Graham referred to in discussing the future of the Affordable Care Act. — Hurricane , which Sokolowski suspects is because people are confused about wind speed. — Gaffe , such as what happened at the Academy Awards when the wrong best picture winner was announced. That was a go-to word for the media, Sokolowski said.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 13:08:00

Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2017: 'Feminism'

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318488

Spieth, Reed drawn in same group at Match Play

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed go from being teammates to opponents in match play. Spieth and Reed have a 7-2-2 record as partners in two Ryder Cups and last year's Presidents Cup. They were drawn in the same four-man group for the Dell Technologies Match Play, which starts Wednesday at Austin Country Club. Spieth knows the course well from his days playing for the Texas Longhorns. The format at this World Golf Championship is round-robin play through Friday, with the winners of each 16 groups advancing to a weekend of single elimination. Dustin Johnson is the No. 1 seed. Also in his group is Kevin Kisner, one of his best friends from junior golf in South Carolina. Tommy Fleetwood faces an all-England match Wednesday against Ian Poulter.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 08:18:00

Spieth, Reed drawn in same group at Match Play

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385870

Pistons' Blake Griffin says he wants to be where he's wanted

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Blake Griffin admits he was shocked by the trade that sent him from the Los Angeles Clippers to Detroit. The star forward says he wants to be with a team that wants him. Griffin, Brice Johnson and Willie Reed were introduced Wednesday by the Pistons, who acquired the trio earlier this week in a blockbuster deal with the Clippers. They should be available to play Thursday night when Detroit hosts the Memphis Grizzlies. The Pistons sent Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and two draft picks to the Clippers. The deal came seven months after Griffin signed a $171 million, five-year contract to stay with Los Angeles. Griffin says the Pistons clearly want him, and that's the kind of organization he wants to play for. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball ___ Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 06:15:00

Pistons' Blake Griffin says he wants to be where he's wanted

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355004

Death in Malaysia is 22nd due to faulty Takata air inflators

Another person has died in Malaysia from injuries inflicted by a faulty Takata air bag inflator, raising the worldwide death toll to 22. The unidentified driver was killed when a 2004 Honda City crashed on New Year's day in central Selangor state, according to Honda of Malaysia. The death was the sixth in Malaysia due to exploding Takata air bag inflators. Takata's inflators can explode with too much force, hurling shrapnel into drivers and passengers. Nineteen auto and truck makers are recalling up to 69 million inflators in the U.S. and 100 million worldwide. The deaths have occurred since May 2009: — May 27, 2009: Ashley Parham, 18, of Midwest City, Oklahoma, 2001 Honda Accord — Dec. 24, 2009: Gurjit Rathore, 33, of Richmond, Virginia, 2001 Honda Accord — Sept. 13, 2013: Hai Ming Xu, of Alhambra, California, 2002 Acura TL — July 27, 2014: Law Suk Leh of Sibu, Malaysia, 2003 Honda City — Sept. 7, 2014: Jewel Brangman, 26, of California, 2001 Honda Civic — Sept. 29, 2014: Hien Thi Tran, 51, of Orlando, Florida, 2001 Honda Accord — Jan. 18, 2015: Carlos Solis, 35, of Spring, Texas, 2002 Honda Accord — April 15, 2015: Kylan Langlinais, 23, of Lafayette, Louisiana, 2005 Honda Accord — July 22, 2015: Unidentified 13-year-old boy, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, 2001 Honda Accord — Dec. 22, 2015: Joel Knight, 52, of Kershaw, South Carolina, 2006 Ford Ranger — March 31, 2016: Huma Hanif, 17, of Fort Bend County, Texas, 2002 Honda Civic — April 16, 2016: Unidentified person, Sabah State, Malaysia, 2006 Honda City. Inflator ruptured, no death cause determined. — May 1, 2016: Unidentified person, Malaysia, 2003 Honda City. Inflator ruptured, no death cause determined. — June, 2016: Unidentified person in Malaysia. Inflator ruptured, no death cause determined. —June 19, 2016: Ramon Kuffo, 81, Hialeah, Florida. Inflator ruptured while he was repairing interior of car. — Sept. 24, 2016: Unidentified driver, Johor State, Malaysia, 2009 Honda City. Inflator ruptured, no death cause determined. — Sept. 30, 2016: Delia Robles, 50, of Corona, California, 2001 Honda Civic. — July 1, 2017: Steve Mollohan, 56, of West Virginia, 2006 Ford Ranger. — July 10, 2017: George R. Sharp, 61, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2004 Honda Civic. — July 13, 2017: Unidentified 58-year-old man in suburban Sydney, 2007 Honda CR-V. — July 19, 2017: Nichol Lynn Barker, 34, of Holiday, Florida, 2002 Honda Accord. — Jan. 1, 2018: Unidentified driver in central Selangor state, Malaysia, 2004 Honda City. Sources: Associated Press archives, Center for Auto Safety, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Honda Motor Co., legal documents and police reports

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 21:51:00

Death in Malaysia is 22nd due to faulty Takata air inflators

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354244

IOC mistakenly invited banned Russian to Olympics as coach

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Olympic Committee says it has mistakenly invited a banned Russian athlete to the Pyeongchang Games as a coach. The IOC says it has canceled the invitation for Sergei Chudinov, who was banned from the Olympics for life in November when the IOC's disciplinary commission ruled he was part of a Russian doping scheme at the 2014 Sochi Games. Chudinov was fifth in the men's skeleton in Sochi and later became a coach for the Russian national skeleton team. The IOC says "he has since been declared ineligible for an invitation." Chudinov had been the only invited skeleton coach listed in Russian Olympic Committee records. Russian athletes must compete under a neutral flag in Pyeongchang as part of the IOC's sanctions for doping.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 17:04:00

IOC mistakenly invited banned Russian to Olympics as coach

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354740

Dam evacuees relieved but frustrated as they head home

CHICO, Calif. (AP) — At churches, fairgrounds and other makeshift shelters, thousands of Californians packed what belongings they had into garbage bags and suitcases to return home Tuesday, two days after they were told to flee the threat of massive flooding from a dam's damaged spillway. They expressed relief as authorities lifted an evacuation order for nearly 200,000 residents who live below the nation's tallest dam. Some voiced frustration at how authorities handled the disaster that never happened. Most were just happy to be heading home. "You don't appreciate home until it's taken away from you," said Oroville resident Margaret Johnston, 69, one of hundreds who had sought shelter at the Neighborhood Church of Chico, northwest of her town. Johnston and others huddled around televisions to watch a live broadcast where Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the risk of the spillway collapsing was significantly reduced. But he said the region would remain under an evacuation warning, meaning residents needed to be ready to flee again if conditions worsen. "It was just frustrating. Very frustrating," Johnston said about the back-and-forth from officials and the mad rush to get out of Oroville after the evacuation order Sunday. She fled with her two sons, packing a few blankets, pillows and clothes into a black garbage bag. "It feels great to be going home," Johnston said. State water officials said they had drained enough of the lake behind Oroville Dam so that its earthen emergency spillway will not be needed to handle runoff from an approaching storm. "It's great, all of us can finally go home," said Pedro Mota of Gridley, who has been staying at a Red Cross shelter at a fairground in Chico with his wife and four young children. He wasn't concerned by the on-again, off-again evacuation. "They're doing their job. They're going to know more than me," he said by telephone. "I'm just going to listen to them and follow their advice on it." Mota said he would be prepared if the sirens sound again. "I'm still going to play it by ear, head back home but still have things packed and ready to go just in case they make it mandatory," he said. Rod Remocal and his wife, Kelly, were taking the same cautious approach. "This time we're going to be on call like they said," said Remocal, who lives in Biggs, west of Oroville. When the couple left in a rush Sunday night, they grabbed their four dogs, blankets and a few important papers as sirens sounded and a fire truck's loud speaker told them to flee immediately. "We're all coming back and pack and be ready this time," he said by telephone after leaving the Red Cross shelter earlier in the day. On his drive back, Remocal noticed law enforcement stationed at every major intersection as officers prepared to guide the expected parade of vehicles back home. He said traffic was flowing smoothly, in sharp contrast with the chaotic mass flight of thousands of vehicles two days earlier. He praised the Red Cross and other emergency workers and said he was happy when the evacuation order ended. "It just took a big load off me, man, just the thrill of relief," he said. ___ Thompson reported from Sacramento. Associated Press writer Jocelyn Gecker contributed from San Francisco.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 08:26:00

Dam evacuees relieved but frustrated as they head home

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095175

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For-profit loan forgiveness program could see major cut

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department's plan to provide only partial relief to some students defrauded by for-profit colleges could reduce overall payments by about 60 percent, according to a preliminary analysis obtained by The Associated Press. The agency announced in December that it was discontinuing the Obama administration's practice of fully wiping out the loans of students deceived by the now defunct Corinthian Colleges under the so-called borrower defense rule. The department said that some students will now be getting only partial loan forgiveness in order to make the process fair and protect taxpayers from excessive costs. The agency will look at average income for specific programs to determine if the loans should be forgiven fully or partially. A department document drafted in the fall and viewed by the AP shows that such an approach could cut the overall amount of relief granted to students by around 60 percent. To arrive at the initial estimate, officials looked at student loans that had been forgiven in their entirety to determine the impact had partial relief been granted. Education Department Press Secretary Liz Hill said in a statement Tuesday, "This is not an official calculation from the Department of Education. It is an impossible calculation to make at this stage in the process as we continue to adjudicate claims." Critics said the idea of partial relief was unfair since thousands of Corinthian students had already had their loans canceled in full under Obama. The agency said in December that it had tens of thousands of claims from Corinthian students still pending. The action comes as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos rewrites regulations governing student protections with regard to for-profit schools. Last year she froze two Obama-era rules that were meant to put additional checks on for-profits. Critics point to the Trump administration's ties with the sector and accuse the department of protecting industry interests, but DeVos says that the Obama rules were too broad and could be misused at taxpayers' expense. Eileen Connor, a litigator at Harvard University's Project on Predatory Student Lending, which has represented hundreds of defrauded Corinthian students, criticized the projections. "I think that is terrible, it's another example of the Department of Education picking the side of fraudulent schools and not doing right by those who have been hurt by them," said Connor. "And we have every intention of channeling the department's action in this regard." When announcing the partial relief program, DeVos said that "no fraud is acceptable, and students deserve relief if the school they attended acted dishonestly." But she added that the process also "protects taxpayers from being forced to shoulder massive costs that may be unjustified."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 01:16:00

For-profit loan forgiveness program could see major cut

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354352

Iranian women protest obligatory headscarf

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Social media postings Monday showed at least five women in Iran protesting the obligatory Muslim headscarf by taking theirs off and waving them on sticks. The videos and photos showed individual women in separate locations in Tehran and Isfahan. Masoud Sarabi, who witnessed one of the protests, confirmed the authenticity of a video shot on Tehran's Enghelab Street. The others appeared to be authentic, but The Associated Press could not independently verify them. The women appear to be following the lead of a 31-year-old protester identified as Vida Movahed, who took off her headscarf on the same street in late December. She was detained for a few weeks and then released. Women showing their hair in public can be jailed for up to two months or fined $25. The Islamic dress code, in place since the 1979 revolution, considers Islamic veiling or hijab, obligatory for any female above 13 in Iran and says they should cover themselves from head to toe while disavowing any figure-hugging dress. In late December, police said they would no longer arrest women for failing to observe the code. The announcement signaled an easing, as called for by the young and reform-minded Iranians who helped re-elect President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, earlier this year. Many Islamists believe hijab should not be imposed by the law, though they consider it a religious task for every Muslim woman. Both Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei support softer attitude toward women with improper hijab, though hard-liners opposed to easing such rules still dominate Iran's security forces and judiciary.

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2018-01-30 04:58:00

Iranian women protest obligatory headscarf

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353947

Fitness devices can provide locations of soldiers

WASHINGTON (AP) — An interactive map found online can show the locations and activities of people who use fitness devices such as Fitbit, raising security concerns about soldiers and other people who are at U.S. military bases in sensitive areas. The Global Heat Map, published by the GPS tracking company Strava, uses satellite information to map the locations and movements of subscribers to the company's fitness service over a two-year period, by illuminating areas of activity, The Washington Post reported Sunday. Strava says it has 27 million users around the world, including people who own widely available fitness devices, as well as people who directly subscribe to its mobile app. The map is not live, but shows a pattern of accumulated activity between 2015 and September 2017. The map shows a great deal of activity in the U.S. and Europe. But in war zones and deserts in countries such as Iraq and Syria, the heat map becomes almost entirely dark — except for scattered evidence of activity. A closer look at those areas brings into focus the locations and outlines of well-known U.S. military bases, as well as other lesser-known and potentially sensitive sites — possibly because American soldiers and other personnel are using fitness trackers as they move around. The Global Heat Map was posted online in November 2017, but the information it contains was only publicized recently. The data could provide information to someone who wants to attack or ambush troops, the Post reported. Military officials are looking into the situation to determine how to respond "DoD takes matters like these very seriously and is reviewing the situation to determine if any additional training or guidance is required, and if any additional policy must be developed to ensure the continued safety of DoD personnel at home and abroad," Maj. Audricia Harris, a Defense Department spokeswoman, told The Associated Press.

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2018-01-29 09:36:00

Fitness devices can provide locations of soldiers

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353827

FANTASY PLAYS: WRs with potential to break out in third year

Conventional pro football wisdom suggests that pass catchers begin to hit stride in their third year. That's when some greats like Jerry Rice and Lance Allworth had their first chart-topping seasons toward Hall of Fame careers. While it's far too early to suggest anyone from the rookie class of 2016 are locks to reach Canton, fantasy football players should take a closer look at several third-year receivers who have a chance to be highly productive this season. Michael Thomas (Saints) and Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) have already established their fantasy credentials and will be gone early in fantasy drafts. Hunter Henry (Chargers) would have been a lock to be off most boards by the seventh round but a torn ACL sustained in practice last week ended his 2018 campaign. One third-year receiver to watch is Houston's Will Fuller, whose draft value could have been several rounds higher had quarterback Deshaun Watson not suffered a season-ending knee injury. With Watson throwing, Fuller had a four-game stretch where he caught seven touchdowns on just 22 targets. If both he and Watson are healthy, the duo could be good for 8-10 scoring strikes, especially if Fuller's average targets per game increases. Fuller will be a great back-end draft selection. Sterling Shepard of the Giants will benefit from the arrival of running back Saquon Barkley and the return of Odell Beckham, Jr. Even with Eli Manning's struggles in 2017, Shepard would have eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards had he not missed five games. Shepard improved his catch percentage to 70.2 percent and his yards per game to 66.5, potential signs of a breakout in 2018. He would make a sneaky good flex option in point-per-reception formats and could equal the eight touchdowns he scored as a rookie. Cleveland's Corey Coleman, Josh Doctson of Washington and Malcolm Mitchell of the Patriots are each later stage targets who have both the upside and opportunity to take bigger steps forward. In the case of Mitchell, his recovery from knee surgery makes him a deep sleeper worth an endgame play. RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL REDBIRD Cardinals pitcher Alex Reyes made his return to the mound on Wednesday, his first appearance since having Tommy John surgery in 2016. One of the game's elite prospects, Reyes will cause a frenzy in leagues where he is eligible to picked up in free agency. Those looking to pursue the hard-throwing Reyes should proceed with caution as the Cards will treat him with kid gloves. There is strikeout potential there, but expectations need to be tempered. Reyes' return will also spark a run on trade proposals for those who own him in keeper/dynasty leagues. Reyes owners could sell high, especially if winning immediately is a priority. SAY "YES" TO BOWYER AT POCONO Clint Bowyer has yet to win at Pocono Raceway, site of Sunday's NASCAR Monster Energy Pocono 400. Bowyer ($9,400 at DraftKings, $10,600 at FanDuel) has 10 top 10 finishes in 24 career visits to the track, including a sixth-place finish last year. Since a second-place finish at Dover, Bowyer has finished 15th at Kansas and 12th at Charlotte, breaking what had been a streak of four straight top 10 finishes. Look for him to have a solid outing as he stands a good chance to earn his first checkered flag at Pocono. ___ This column was provided to The Associated Press by the Fantasy Sports Network, http://FNTSY.com

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2018-05-31 04:27:00

FANTASY PLAYS: WRs with potential to break out in third year

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444540

Top 10 cars stuck on dealer lots that are ripe for deals

It's no secret that U.S. consumers prefer SUVs and trucks nowadays, and that means car sales are sliding. That's forcing automakers to offer big discounts to sell them. Car sales fell to just 36 percent of U.S. auto sales last month, a record low for a January. Generally, discounts are bigger on cars with the highest inventory. Here are the top 10 cars with the biggest stockpiles, measured by the number of days the inventory could meet demand at the current sales rate: Brand Vehicle Days' supply Buick Lacrosse 330 Buick Cascada 298 Chevrolet Corvette 267 Volkswagen CC 259 Chevrolet Camaro 236 Buick Verano 234 Mitsubishi Mirage 231 Acura ILX 227 Chrysler 200 225 Buick Regal 222 Source: WardsAuto

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2017-02-15 23:05:00

Top 10 cars stuck on dealer lots that are ripe for deals

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095854

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US job openings slip in October, but hiring increased

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers posted slightly fewer job openings in October than the previous month, but the number of people being hired improved. The Labor Department says nearly 6 million jobs were available at the end of October, down from 6.18 million in September. Manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers and the information sector advertised fewer jobs. But total hires rose 4.4 percent to 5.55 million. The government said last week that employers added a net total of 244,000 jobs in October and 228,000 in November. That partly reflected a recovery in hiring after the hurricanes dragged down jobs gains in September. Despite the healthy job market, many people are staying in their jobs rather than departing for new ones. The number of quits held steady for a second straight month at 3.18 million.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 03:00:00

US job openings slip in October, but hiring increased

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318109

Texas man freed after being found innocent in 2001 killing

DALLAS (AP) — A man who spent 15 years in prison for the 2001 killing of a teenager was freed on Wednesday after a judge agreed with prosecutors that he didn't commit the crime. Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson said Quintin Lee Alonzo, 38, was freed after the judge agreed with a petition from prosecutors declaring him innocent in the 2001 death of Santos Gauna, who was killed when a fight broke out at a party celebrating his high school graduation and decision to join the Marines. Although Alonzo was freed because prosecutors and the judge believe he's innocent, due largely to the confession of a condemned man the day before that man's execution, Alonzo would still need the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to formally exonerate him to be eligible for state compensation for being falsely imprisoned. That ruling could take months. Officials say an "exhaustive investigation" corroborated the 2015 confession that Licho Escamilla gave to investigators from the district attorney's office's conviction integrity unit right before Escamilla was put to death for the killing of an off-duty Dallas police officer. "He was facing execution the next day," said Cynthia Garza, who heads the unit. "We believe he was doing this to make peace with God and make things right for him." Escamilla was a suspect in Guana's killing. But a person identified Alonzo as the shooter from a photo lineup, and Johnson said the jury at his 2003 trial relied heavily on that identification to convict him. Alonzo was sentenced to life in prison. Escamilla, meanwhile, was convicted in 2002 in the death of officer Christopher Kevin James, who was among four uniformed Dallas officers working off-duty security at a club when a brawl broke out and James was shot multiple times by Escamilla. Prosecutors say that before Escamilla was convicted in James' killing, he confessed to killing Gauna and that he also confessed later to his appellate attorneys. Johnson acknowledged that rumors circulated after the teen's death that Escamilla was responsible, but she said Alonzo's attorney argued this point at Alonzo's trial and jurors didn't buy it.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 05:19:00

Texas man freed after being found innocent in 2001 killing

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444566

Lawyers chase O.J. Simpson over $70M wrongful death judgment

LOS ANGELES (AP) — O.J. Simpson is cashing in on autographs since his release from prison and should pay the money toward a wrongful death judgment that now exceeds $70 million, according to a lawyer for the family of Fred Goldman whose son was killed in 1994 along with Simpson's ex-wife. Attorney David Cook is asking a Los Angeles Superior Court judge Tuesday to order Simpson to hand over future money he makes from celebrity appearances or autographing sports memorabilia to satisfy the judgment in the wrongful deaths of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. Simpson was acquitted of two counts of murder in the 1994 slayings, but a civil court jury found him liable and ordered him to pay $33.5 million, which has more than doubled over two decades. Goldman's father, Fred, has hounded Simpson for years and Cook said the former football star has never willingly paid a cent of the court order. "Mr. Simpson has sought to subvert this wrongful death judgment by his abject refusal to pay, much less accept personal responsibility," Cook said in court papers. Simpson sold autographs shortly after his release from a Nevada prison in October to pay legal bills and has no interest in signing memorabilia, one of his lawyers, Malcolm LaVergne, said in court papers objecting to any order relinquishing his right to publicity. Goldman and Cook have "attempted to drag Mr. Simpson into court every time they hear a rumor, see something on television, or read in an internet news posting, a mere vague allegation involving Mr. Simpson's commercial exploitation of himself," attorney Ronald Slates wrote in court papers on behalf of Simpson. While most of the court award has been unpaid, Fred Goldman has been able to seize some of the Pro Football Hall of Famer's assets, including video game royalties and the rights to the book "If I Did It," a ghostwritten account in which Simpson tells how he might have killed his ex-wife and Ron Goldman. Goldman was also able to acquire memorabilia Simpson claimed he was trying to take back when he led five men, two with guns, into a Las Vegas casino hotel in September 2007 to confront two sports collectibles dealers. Simpson, 70, served nine years in Nevada state prison for armed robbery and assault with a weapon in an ill-fated bid to retrieve memorabilia.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 15:16:00

Lawyers chase O.J. Simpson over $70M wrongful death judgment

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354112

Trump's clapping draws amusement, derision on social media

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's repeated clapping throughout his first State of the Union drew reactions from amusement to derision on social media. Trump's applause during Tuesday night's address was audible over and over again as cameras cut away from the president and showed lawmakers and others offering varied levels of approval to his remarks. Twitter users posted videos of Trump clapping for himself, with some noting that it became an annoying distraction. Others chimed in to question why the president would keep clapping for himself. In the House chamber itself in Washington, majority Republicans led multiple rounds of enthusiastic applause during the speech. Democrats, meanwhile, provided a short spurt of polite applause for Trump as he entered the chamber, but offered muted reactions throughout the speech.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 19:27:00

Trump's clapping draws amusement, derision on social media

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354785

TLCD Architecture Accepts ENR’s “Best of the Best” Award for American AgCredit Headquarters

SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Jim Murphy & Associates and TLCD Architecture announced today that their collaboration on American AgCredit’s new headquarters office building in Santa Rosa has received the “Best of the Best” Award from ENR (Engineering News Record). ENR chooses one winner for each category from across the entire United States “which reaches the pinnacle of design and construction achievement.” Don Tomasi, Principal at TLCD Architecture accepted the award in the Office/Retail/Mixed Use category at a ceremony in New York City on April 5, 2018. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006287/en/ American AgCredit winner of ENR’s “Best of the Best” Award in the Office/Retail/Mixed Use category (Photo: Business Wire) This unique project from two leaders in Northern California’s design and construction industry is the result of a true partnership between client, contractor and architect. Close teamwork was instrumental in completing the project in 18 months and bypassing the typical design-bid-build delivery process. Design and construction took place during a time of active growth and reorganization for the owner. In response, flexible planning modules, use of demountable partitions and an under-floor “plug and play” power system allowed the project to change and adapt to shifting programmatic needs. The striking 120,000 sf three-story building features two forms that wrap around a central courtyard and are connected by walkways and three pedestrian bridges. The slender building shapes are clad in glass and a custom-tailored zinc shroud, which enables dramatic 360-degree views of Sonoma County’s vineyard filled hills. A highly energy-efficient building, the team incorporated unobtrusive sustainable design strategies including displacement ventilation, automatic shading and daylight harvesting. In addition to housing the company’s administrative headquarters, pre-planned expansion zones are now home to other agricultural and wine related businesses. A locally owned caterer operates a popular café on the ground floor and is on hand to serve the many social events and business meetings that take place throughout the facility. Despite the challenging pace of construction to meet the owner’s completion date, worker safety took top priority and was emphasized daily and widely to all subcontractors. Because of this constant emphasis by project leadership at Jim Murphy & Associates, the team logged zero lost time accidents, an absolute requirement to qualify for an ENR Best award. “Our team would like to acknowledge American AgCredit’s consistent support for quality at every level of design, construction and technology integration. We are deeply honored to see such a rewarding project achieve this national award,” says Don Tomasi. About Jim Murphy & Associates Jim Murphy & Associates (JMA) is a residential and commercial construction company based in Santa Rosa, CA. In business since 1976, JMA specializes in building and remodeling distinctive custom homes and commercial projects including: winery facilities, office buildings, hospitality facilities including resorts, restaurants, industrial buildings, medical and dental offices, and light retail construction. For information, visit the company’s website: www.j-m-a.com or call 707.576.7337. About TLCD Architecture Located in the San Francisco North Bay region, TLCD Architecture (TLCD) has designed memorable architecture and interior environments for over 50 years. TLCD has earned a reputation for design excellence and is responsible for many of the North Bay’s most important architectural projects. For information, visit the company’s website: www.tlcd.com or call 707.525.5600. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006287/en/ CONTACT: TLCD Architecture Marina Starkey, 707-535-5290 marina.starkey@tlcd.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BUILDING SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE SOURCE: TLCD Architecture Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 01:10 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 01:11 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006287/en

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2018-04-25 01:11:00

TLCD Architecture Accepts ENR’s “Best of the Best” Award for American AgCredit Headquarters

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413687

UN negotiator due in Macedonia in drive to end name dispute

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — A U.N. negotiator is due in Macedonia for talks with the country's leadership, in a revived effort to settle a peculiar but acrimonious dispute with neighboring Greece over Macedonia's name. Matthew Nimetz has already met Greek officials in Athens, and says there appears to be momentum for solving the dispute that has poisoned the two countries' relations since Macedonia won independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. He is expected in the capital, Skopje, later Wednesday. On Thursday, Nimetz will meet Macedonia's president, government officials and opposition leaders. The dispute has frozen Macedonia's NATO accession hopes, as Greece, an alliance member, refuses to endorse its bid until a solution is found. Greece says the country's name implies claims on its own adjoining province of Macedonia. Skopje denies that.

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2018-01-31 20:03:00

UN negotiator due in Macedonia in drive to end name dispute

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354786

Trial begins against suspects in Istanbul nightclub attack

ISTANBUL (AP) — A trial has begun in Turkey against dozens of suspects, including the alleged shooter in the New Year's Eve attack that left 39 people dead in Istanbul. Fifty-seven suspects, mostly foreigners and 51 of them behind bars, were on trial Monday on the outskirts of Istanbul. Albulkadir Masharipov — the lead suspect — is charged with membership in a terror group, murder, attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, among other charges. The prosecutor is seeking multiple aggravated life sentences. On Jan. 1, an assailant shot his way into Istanbul's Reina nightclub where hundreds were partying. The assailant escaped and the Islamic State group claimed the attack. Masharipov was caught 15 days later. Turkey has been hit by a string of attacks since 2015, blamed on Kurdish militants and IS.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 16:20:00

Trial begins against suspects in Istanbul nightclub attack

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317799

Girona defeats struggling Espanyol 1-0 in Spanish league

MADRID (AP) — Girona avoided conceding late this time, holding on to beat Catalan rival Espanyol 1-0 in the Spanish league on Monday. After allowing injury-time goals in its last two league matches, Girona closed out the game at Espanyol to halt a four-game winless streak in all competitions. David Timor scored in the first top-flight meeting between the Catalan clubs just before halftime at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, moving Girona to ninth place. It was the fourth loss in five league matches for Espanyol, which dropped to 16th in the 20-team standings, near the relegation zone. "We started well but in the end it was another loss," Espanyol goalkeeper Pau Lopez said. "It has been a very bad season so far." Girona conceded injury-time goals in a draw at Real Betis two weeks ago, and in a loss against Alaves last week. ___ More AP Spanish soccer coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/LaLiga

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2017-12-12 06:19:00

Girona defeats struggling Espanyol 1-0 in Spanish league

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318229

Tennessee back in top 10; UConn still No. 1 in women's hoops

NEW YORK (AP) — Tennessee moves back into the top 10 after a big win while UConn continues to be No. 1 in The Associated Press women's basketball poll. The Lady Vols (10-0) knocked off then-No. 2 Texas on Sunday and climbed four spots to seventh in the Top 25 on Monday. Tennessee, which was a perennial top team in the sport, hasn't been among the first 10 teams in the poll since Nov. 30, 2015. The Longhorns dropped six spots to eighth. Both teams are chasing the Huskies (8-0), who routed DePaul in their only game this past week. UConn received all 32 first place votes from a national media panel. The Huskies, like many other teams, are off for exams this week. Notre Dame, Louisville, Mississippi State and South Carolina follow UConn. Baylor, Tennessee, Texas, Oregon and West Virginia round out the first 10. Iowa (10-1) entered the Top 25 for the first time since 2015, coming in at No. 25. Kentucky fell out. Other poll tidbits: OKLAHOMA BLUES: UCLA and South Florida slipped up this week losing at Oklahoma State and Oklahoma respectively. The Bruins dropped four spots to No. 11 while the Bulls fell six places to No. 22. UCLA has a two-game eastern swing at Seton Hall and Fordham coming up before beginning Pac-12 play. SURGING WILDCATS: No. 20 Villanova is off to its best start since the 1979-80 season, winning its first nine games. The Wildcats held off Temple down the stretch on Sunday, winning 69-65 to equal the squad's mark from 38 years ago. Villanova has its best ranking since Jan. 12, 2004 when the team was 19th. SHE SAID IT: "If that was the No. 2 team in the country, where do we stand now?" Tennessee senior Mercedes Russell asked after the win over Texas. "82-75. There's your answer right there." BIG GAMES: There are two games this week between ranked teams as No. 9 Oregon visits sixth-ranked Mississippi State on Wednesday. The 12th-ranked Florida State Seminoles visit No. 8 Texas on Sunday. ___ See the full poll: https://collegebasketball.ap.org/ap-womens-basketball-poll-week-6-0 ___ Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

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2017-12-12 02:01:00

Tennessee back in top 10; UConn still No. 1 in women's hoops

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318171