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Finablr Launched To Accelerate Customer-Focused Technology Innovations

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Noted UAE-based businessman and philanthropist, Dr. Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty announced the creation of “Finablr”, a new holding company which, subject to regulatory approvals, will consolidate his global portfolio of financial services brands under one single umbrella. Incorporated in the UK, Finablr will provide strategic direction and oversight for the category-leading brands across its network. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005741/en/ Finablr Leadership Team (L-R): Binay Shetty (Executive Director, Finablr), Dr. B.R. Shetty (Founder and Chairman, Finablr) and Promoth Manghat (Executive Director, Finablr) (Photo: AETOSWire) Finablr also seeks to drive financial enablement and empowerment by accelerating customer-focused technology innovation through R&D efforts, industry ecosystem engagements, investments and potential acquisitions. As a diversified network, Finablr will combine the cumulative industry expertise of its trusted network brands including UAE Exchange, Travelex, Xpress Money etc. to deliver innovative-technology-driven and market-leading experiences. As a platform of complementary capabilities, the Finablr network will facilitate seamless and connected experiences for individuals and enterprises. With over four decades of industry experience, 18,000+ employees, and handling more than 150 Million customer transactions annually, the Finablr network brands boast an impressive global footprint. Collectively touching over a billion lives through its retail stores, agents and digital channels, the Finablr network brands have a direct presence in 45 countries and a network reach across 165 countries. Technology innovation and integration into the new economy is key to Finablr’s growth strategy. Commenting on the announcement, Finablr Founder and Chairman, Dr. B.R. Shetty, said: “Finablr is driven by our desire to lead the evolution of the financial services industry to meet the customer demands of tomorrow. Our strength comes from over four decades of trust that we have built with our customers through a track record of innovation and excellence in service. Through investment in research and technology, we will bring forth game-changing products and services across our portfolio of brands, to ensure we maintain our competitive edge. We are inspired by our customers and Finablr will focus on creating an engaged customer community.” Binay Shetty, Executive Director at Finablr, explained: “Finablr will bring together the strengths across its network brands and investments in digital technologies to build scalable, cost-efficient customer propositions to enable and empower them. We see Finablr as an innovation platform that converges the strengths and capabilities of our network companies and a range of ecosystem partners. In effect, we are bringing together leading-edge capabilities across people, processes and technology.” In its efforts to embrace new technologies that transform the way customers and businesses engage, Finablr is setting up Innovation Hubs ( i-Hubs ) across its global network. i-Hubs will identify disruptive trends in the industry and implement innovations that deliver enhanced business benefits to its network of brands. Through its investment arm, Finablr will seek to acquire capabilities that complement its portfolio through inorganic pursuits. The Finablr investment arm will continue the inorganic pursuits on behalf of its network brands, including strategic investments and acquisitions plans (of USD 250-300 Million) announced by UAE Exchange. , Executive Director at Finablr, added: “As a network of category-leading and trusted brands, Finablr is uniquely positioned to lead the future of financial services for a seamless world. Keeping the innovation agenda squarely in sight, we have started our journey by collaborating with strategic partners and globally-renowned industry accelerator programmes. The formation of i-Hubs builds upon our early investments in technology and accelerates our pace in delivering cutting-edge solutions. Moreover, on the investment front, we are constantly on the lookout for the right opportunities that help further our innovation efforts be it on the industry capability or the technology side.” Finablr has also announced the intent to rebrand the non-UAE operations of UAE Exchange as “Unimoni. Short for “Universal Money”, Unimoni will offer a broad spectrum of financial services and will build on the brand equity and legacy of UAE Exchange. *Source: View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005741/en/ CONTACT: Finablr Lahcen Aterta, +971-55-6611849 Manager Media Relations press.office@finablr.com KEYWORD: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA MIDDLE EAST INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: Finablr Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 08:55 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 08:55 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005741/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-23 20:55:00

Finablr Launched To Accelerate Customer-Focused Technology Innovations

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413492

Adviser to Iran's top leader pushes uranium enrichment

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is proposing Iran resume its uranium enrichment in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal between world powers and Tehran. Ali Akbar Velayati was quoted Wednesday by the semi-official Tasnim news agency as saying Iran is "capable to spin centrifuges for enrichment" to higher levels should it choose to do so. Velayati says Iran should also accelerate production of nuclear propulsions and also research on advanced centrifuges. He claimed this wouldn't violate the nuclear deal which put limits on Iran's atomic program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. In the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the deal, several Iranian officials have indicated Tehran could resume its nuclear program.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 01:15:00

Adviser to Iran's top leader pushes uranium enrichment

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444454

Expanded Conference Glance

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 50 34 13 3 71 176 128 17-5-1 17-8-2 9-3-1 Boston 48 29 11 8 66 157 119 16-6-4 13-5-4 10-1-2 Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 18-7-1 11-8-4 8-4-3 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 13-8-2 15-10-3 6-4-1 Pittsburgh 52 28 21 3 59 156 155 18-7-1 10-14-2 10-4-0 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 13-8-3 12-8-5 5-6-1 Columbus 50 27 19 4 58 133 140 16-8-1 11-11-3 8-5-2 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 13-9-4 11-8-4 5-2-4 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 17-8-3 8-12-2 7-6-3 N.Y. Islanders 51 25 21 5 55 173 184 13-8-3 12-13-2 7-7-1 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 11-7-4 12-12-4 6-5-3 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 11-8-3 9-14-3 6-4-1 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 10-10-7 9-11-1 6-9-2 Montreal 50 20 24 6 46 130 159 12-10-5 8-14-1 9-6-2 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 9-11-5 6-13-4 5-8-3 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 6-13-3 8-14-6 3-5-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 19-3-2 13-9-2 11-1-1 Winnipeg 51 30 13 8 68 167 137 18-3-1 12-10-7 7-5-2 Nashville 48 29 12 7 65 146 125 16-5-3 13-7-4 10-4-2 St. Louis 52 31 18 3 65 151 131 18-10-0 13-8-3 7-4-1 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 17-7-1 11-11-3 7-10-0 San Jose 49 26 16 7 59 145 138 14-7-3 12-9-4 12-2-3 Minnesota 50 27 18 5 59 147 142 17-4-4 10-14-1 8-8-0 Anaheim 51 25 17 9 59 144 142 14-9-3 11-8-6 8-5-5 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 12-11-3 13-5-5 8-5-3 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 18-7-1 9-11-2 7-6-1 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 12-9-3 14-9-2 6-9-3 Chicago 50 24 19 7 55 148 137 12-10-3 12-9-4 6-7-2 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 11-13-1 11-11-2 10-2-0 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 8-13-3 11-11-3 5-9-1 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 6-15-3 6-14-6 1-7-5 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Minnesota 3, Columbus 2, SO Pittsburgh 5, San Jose 2 Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Anaheim 3, Boston 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Winnipeg 3, Tampa Bay 1 St. Louis 3, Montreal 1 Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 11:43:00

Expanded Conference Glance

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354637

Report: UAE activist sentenced to 10 years for online posts

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Leading Emirati rights activist Ahmed Mansoor has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 1 million dirhams, or about $272,000, by an appeals court in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai-based Gulf News reported on Wednesday that the defendant, identified as "AMS" by his initials, will also be under probation for three years after prison. Gulf News says Mansoor, who had a court-appointed lawyer, was convicted on Tuesday of defaming the United Arab Emirates on Twitter and Facebook by "publishing false information, rumors and lies ... that would damage the UAE's social harmony and unity." He was acquitted on charges of cooperating with a "terrorist organization" outside the country. Human Rights Watch condemned the sentencing, saying it exposes UAE's inability "to tolerate the mildest of criticisms from a genuine reformer."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 03:08:00

Report: UAE activist sentenced to 10 years for online posts

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444489

Italian police smash ring trafficking in ancient artifacts

ROME (AP) — Italian police have dismantled an international ring trafficking in what prosecutors allege are thousands of ancient artifacts illegally excavated in Sicily. Maj. Luigi Mancuso, in Palermo for the Carabinieri paramilitary art squad, said Wednesday that investigators allege that the digs were commissioned by a London art dealer, William Veres, 64, who was served with an international warrant. Twenty Italians were arrested in Italy, one in Spain, and one in Germany. Mancuso said Veres had been arrested in 2017 in Spain in an unrelated investigation by the Carabinieri art experts. Some 20,000 objects recovered included ancient coins, statues and pottery, as well as fake artifacts. Police say many objects were smuggled into Germany, where they were falsely labeled as legitimate and offered by auction houses in Munich.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 20:53:00

Italian police smash ring trafficking in ancient artifacts

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474246

Israel gradually reopens embassy in Jordan after end of spat

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel says it is reopening its embassy in Jordan after the two countries put a monthslong diplomatic spat behind them. Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said on Tuesday that there will be a "gradual reopening" of the embassy in Amman but that no ambassador has been appointed yet. The embassy was closed after a shooting last summer there in which two Jordanians were killed. Israel's ambassador returned to Israel along with the guard involved in the shooting. The guard claimed self-defense and received a hero's welcome at home, angering Jordanians. The incident ruptured relations between the countries which signed a peace agreement in 1994 and cooperate on security and other issues. Israel has since reportedly expressed regret for the incident and offered compensation to the victims.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 15:39:00

Israel gradually reopens embassy in Jordan after end of spat

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354111

Multiple red alerts issued for smog in Kaohsiung

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The air in Kaohsiung is covered with haze and low visibility as a thick layer of smog shrouded the city's 85 Sky Tower today (Dec.12), and the public is advised to avoid exposure to the unhealthy air, reported CNA. Out of the 12 EPA stations situated in Kaohsiung city, 11 flashed a red alert for a high index of air pollution, with the highest in Qianjin and Qianzhen districts (AQI159) of the city. Other districts are also reported red and orange levels of pollution. A red alert with the air quality index (AQI) exceeding 150 is considered "unhealthy for everyone," and members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The EPA reminds people in the city to avoid outdoor activities. If it is necessary to go outside, it is advisable to wear a protective mask, and people who have asthma may need to increase the frequency of their use of an inhaler.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 11:38:00

EPA reminds people in Kaohsiung to avoid outdoor activities and wear protective masks when going outside.EPA in Kaohsiung city reported the Air quality index of 11 stations exceeding 150, indicating unhealthy air quality for everyone

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318358

F1 to end long-standing practice of using 'grid girls'

LONDON (AP) — Formula One says it is ending the practice of using "grid girls" and "podium girls" at races. F1 managing director of commercial operations Sean Bratches says the use of the women on the grid is clearly "at odds with modern day societal norms." At F1 races, women dressed in uniform walk out onto the grid shortly before the race and then stand in front of each driver's car, holding up the driver's number. Women also stand along the winner on the podium after the race. The 2018 season begins on March 25 at the Australian GP in Melbourne.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 22:38:00

F1 to end long-standing practice of using 'grid girls'

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354825

Italian police seize weapons from Spain-bound rental car

ROME (AP) — Police in northern Italy found a small arsenal of Kalashnikovs, pistols and ammunition hidden in the trunk of a rental car and arrested the Bosnian man who was driving it. The ANSA news agency says police believe the car, which had Swiss license plates, was headed to Barcelona when they stopped it on a routine check April 19 in Gorizia, near Italy's northeast border with Croatia and Austria. ANSA says police became suspicious when they found two Berettas in a bag. They then proceeded to search the rest of the car and found several guns in the spare wheel well of the trunk and another stash under the back seat. The 52-year-old Bosnian was being held on suspicion of possession and transport of weapons of war.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 00:36:00

Italian police seize weapons from Spain-bound rental car

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413379

Death toll from heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan rises to 15

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say the death toll from two days of heavy monsoon rains in eastern Pakistan has risen to 15. The heaviest rains seen in Lahore since 1980 continued into Wednesday, flooding streets and causing some residents to join small demonstrations against local authorities. Rescue officials and police confirmed the death toll, saying most deaths were caused by electrocution and homes caving in. Pakistan has long struggled to cope with the annual monsoon rains, which trigger flash floods and mud slides that destroy homes.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 15:15:00

Death toll from heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan rises to 15

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3473953

Greece to investigate claims over UNICEF branch's finances

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A Greek prosecutor has ordered an investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement in the local branch of UNICEF. UNICEF said last week it was "terminating its arrangements" with its national committee in Greece "due to concerns arising out of a recent independent audit." UNICEF said in a statement it has concluded that "the necessary reforms" in the Greek committee won't be achieved. It offered no further details. An Athens prosecutor ordered the probe Tuesday following claims by the head of UNICEF's Greek committee that an audit of the local branch's finances revealed alleged mismanagement. UNICEF has said it will continue its work with children in Greece through its regional office for Europe and central Asia, in collaboration with the Greek government and civil society partners.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 02:27:00

Greece to investigate claims over UNICEF branch's finances

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413413

Could gene editing help avoid disease? Maybe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Don't expect designer babies any time soon — but a major new ethics report leaves open the possibility of one day altering human heredity to fight genetic diseases, with stringent oversight, using new tools that precisely edit genes inside living cells. What's called genome editing already is transforming biological research, and being used to develop treatments for patients struggling with a range of diseases. The science is nowhere near ready for a huge next step that raises ethical questions — altering sperm, eggs or embryos so that babies don't inherit a disease that runs in the family, says a report Tuesday from the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine. But if scientists learn how to safely pass alterations of the genetic code to future generations, the panel said "germline" editing could be attempted under strict criteria, including that it targets a serious disease with no reasonable alternative and is conducted under rigorous oversight. "Caution is absolutely needed, but being cautious does not mean prohibition," said bioethicist R. Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "This committee is not saying we will or should do germline — heritable — editing. What we are saying is that we can identify a set of strict conditions under which it would be permissible to do it," Charo added. "But we are far, far away from being ready to try." Genome editing should not go beyond healing the sick and enhance traits such as physical strength, what's commonly called "designer babies," the panel stressed. But the public should get involved in these debates now, to say what might one day be acceptable. The long-awaited report offers advice — the prestigious academies cannot set policy. But it is considered a step toward creating international norms for responsible development of this powerful technology. The U.S. National Academies and its counterparts in Britain and China have been holding international meetings with the hope of doing just that. "Genome editing is a new tool for gene therapy and it has tremendous promise," Charo said. But, she added, it has to be pursued in a way that promotes well-being and is responsible, respectful and fair. Genome editing is essentially a biological version of cut-and-paste software, allowing scientists to turn genes on or off, repair or modify them inside living cells. There are a few older methods but one with the wonky name CRISPR-Cas9 is so much faster, cheaper and simpler to use that it has spurred an explosion of research. Under development are ways to treat a range of diseases from sickle cell and hemophilia to cancer. In lab experiments using human cells or animals engineered with humanlike e disorders, scientists are unraveling how gene defects fuel disease — and are even trying to grow transplantable human organs inside pigs. That kind of research is very promising, is adequately regulated today and should continue at full speed, the National Academies panel concluded. When it comes to the more sci fi-sounding uses, it's quite possible scientists will learn how to perform germline editing in five to 10 years, said panel co-chair Richard Hynes of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Safety is one reason for caution, he said, as scientists will have to learn whether editing one gene has unwanted downstream effects. Some critics argue that families plagued by inherited diseases already have other alternatives — adopt, use donated eggs, or undergo in vitro fertilization and discard resulting embryos that inherit the bad gene. But Charo noted that sometimes parents carry two copies of a lethal gene, guaranteeing any children inherit it. Others oppose the discarding of embryos for religious reasons. For some families, "you can see there would be strong arguments for doing it" if the other criteria are met, said Robin Lovell-Badge of Britain's Francis Crick Institute. Some countries prohibit any germline editing research. Others, such as Britain, allow laboratory research with genome editing in embryos, not for pregnancy but to understand human development. In the U.S., scientists can perform laboratory embryo research only with private, not government, funding. Any attempt at pregnancy would require permission from the Food and Drug Administration, which is currently prohibited from using federal funds to review any such request. "The bottom line is there is no planetary government with enforcement power," Charo noted Tuesday.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 16:33:00

Could gene editing help avoid disease? Maybe

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095530

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

Striking Amazon 'Spheres' landmark opens in downtown Seattle

SEATTLE (AP) — From the fourth floor of a striking rainforest-like conservatory built of glass and white steel in downtown Seattle, Amazon.com boss Jeff Bezos turned toward the top of his newest headquarters building to summon his favorite assistant. In a proud little show on Monday for the media and dignitaries — which also doubled as product placement for Amazon's voice assistant — the world's richest man ordered out loud, symbolically: "Alexa, open The Spheres." The domed structure is only steps away from the executive office tower where Bezos leads the online retail behemoth. It's part of the company's urban campus near downtown Seattle that is largely made up of unmarked office buildings where more than 40,000 people report to work. The four-story Spheres structure from the outside looks like three connected glass orbs planted into the ground in a caterpillar shape. Lighting mimics a position near the equator, with 12 hours of shade and sun. During the day, the interior is maintained at 72 degrees with 60 percent humidity, to emulate a cloud forest ecosystem. Amazon's Amazonesque rainforest-like conservatory is now home to more than 40,000 plants from 50 countries on five continents. Its centerpiece is a 50-foot (15.2-meter) fig tree. Most plants will flower and some can yield fruit, though visitors must keep their hands off all plant life. About 90 percent of the plants were grown and tended to in a suburban greenhouse for years in anticipation for their permanent home in The Spheres. Though masked by nature, the sleek and minimalist "alternative work space" is also designed to make you forget you're at work, in a startup environment that is rumored to be aggressively demanding. "The idea is that we connect them with nature. We get them away from their normal desk environment so you don't see any desks or cubicles around," said Ron Gagliardo, Amazon's leading horticulturist. The corporate office space, however selfie-worthy, is already such a hit that the company had to create a reservation system to contain the flow of traffic for the time being. Employees will have to snag a reservation to get in but it's currently already booked out until April. The building has capacity for about 1,000 people but is more comfortable with about 800 at a time. Once inside, workers can use nooks with tables and chairs that can serve as a casual meeting space. Coffee breaks can be taken in a cafe and "picnic" area offering an interior reprieve from Seattle's unrelenting rainy season. Critics have called the Spheres a vanity project, illustrating Seattle's sometimes strained relationship with its largest employer. The company's presence has changed the local economy and raised its cost of living — but none of that was on show at the unveiling of the Spheres. Instead, Bezos received glowing praise from the governor, mayor and county officials for his recent commitments to the city's homelessness crisis plus a personal donation of $33 million to a scholarship foundation that helps immigrant youth in the country illegally. Bezos was coy when asked by The Associated Press whether the company's much-anticipated second headquarters to be built in an undetermined U.S. city will have another statement building space like the Spheres, saying: "We'll see." ___ Follow Sally Ho at https://twitter.com/_sallyho

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 11:23:00

Striking Amazon 'Spheres' landmark opens in downtown Seattle

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354041

Global Forecast-Celsius

Global Forecast as of 12:00 GMT Monday, December 11, 2017 _____ City/Town, Country;Monday's Weather Condition;Monday's High Temp (C);Monday's Low Temp (C);Tuesday's Weather Condition;Tuesday's High Temp (C);Tuesday's Low Temp (C);Tuesday's Wind Direction;Tuesday's Wind Speed (KPH);Tuesday's Humidity (%);Tuesday's Chance of Precip. (%);Tuesday's UV Index Abidjan, Ivory Coast;Partly sunny;33;25;A shower or two;31;25;SSW;9;69%;74%;8 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;Partly sunny;25;19;Partly sunny, breezy;25;17;NW;28;57%;0%;4 Aleppo, Syria;Sunny;13;3;Mostly sunny;16;4;NE;12;50%;0%;3 Algiers, Algeria;Plenty of clouds;20;10;Cloudy and cooler;13;8;SSW;9;71%;66%;1 Amsterdam, Netherlands;A little p.m. rain;2;-1;Rain and snow shower;3;-1;SSW;14;87%;63%;1 Anchorage, United States;Cloudy;6;0;An afternoon shower;4;0;NNE;12;74%;79%;0 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan;Plenty of sun;10;-2;Sunny, but chilly;7;-2;ESE;9;56%;8%;2 Astana, Kazakhstan;Cold with snow;-12;-14;Partly sunny, cold;-11;-19;ENE;9;69%;21%;1 Asuncion, Paraguay;Lots of sun, warm;35;20;Sunny and very warm;35;21;E;11;36%;0%;13 Athens, Greece;Sunny;15;8;Mostly sunny;18;9;W;7;69%;13%;2 Auckland, New Zealand;Brief a.m. showers;23;18;A shower in places;24;17;SW;19;60%;49%;11 Baghdad, Iraq;Plenty of sunshine;19;6;Abundant sunshine;19;6;NW;21;41%;0%;3 Banda Aceh, Indonesia;Showers, mainly late;34;23;Partly sunny;31;22;E;8;69%;42%;8 Bangalore, India;Mostly sunny, nice;29;17;Becoming cloudy;29;18;ESE;6;61%;25%;6 Bangkok, Thailand;Partly sunny;34;25;A shower in places;33;26;S;9;65%;55%;5 Barcelona, Spain;Windy, morning rain;16;5;Partly sunny;12;3;NNW;16;65%;44%;2 Beijing, China;Sunshine, but chilly;2;-7;Partly sunny, chilly;-1;-8;NNE;9;13%;4%;2 Belgrade, Serbia;Not as cool;13;8;Clouds and sun, mild;16;7;SSE;15;66%;28%;2 Berlin, Germany;Mostly cloudy;4;3;Rain and snow shower;6;-1;WSW;25;70%;74%;0 Bogota, Colombia;A few showers;19;8;A stray shower;19;7;NW;9;73%;63%;5 Brasilia, Brazil;A t-storm, cooler;23;18;A t-storm in spots;25;18;N;10;74%;65%;4 Bratislava, Slovakia;Warmer;13;9;Showers around;11;2;WNW;16;76%;85%;0 Brussels, Belgium;Chilly with rain;4;0;Rain and snow shower;3;0;SSW;14;82%;55%;1 Bucharest, Romania;Sunny intervals;8;0;Mostly sunny, mild;11;4;WSW;11;72%;0%;2 Budapest, Hungary;Warmer;12;8;Showers around;15;3;NNW;16;60%;85%;2 Buenos Aires, Argentina;Sunny and cooler;23;17;High clouds, warmer;29;20;NE;16;48%;0%;5 Bujumbura, Burundi;A t-storm around;29;18;Partly sunny, warm;33;17;SSW;7;35%;42%;11 Busan, South Korea;Partly sunny, colder;4;-5;Mostly sunny, cold;2;-2;NW;17;46%;0%;3 Cairo, Egypt;High clouds, breezy;23;13;Sunshine and nice;25;14;N;11;45%;1%;3 Cape Town, South Africa;Increasing clouds;25;15;Mostly sunny;21;15;S;27;52%;11%;12 Caracas, Venezuela;Partly sunny;27;16;Nice with some sun;27;18;NE;5;59%;9%;7 Chennai, India;Partly sunny, nice;32;24;A shower in spots;32;23;SE;6;74%;52%;5 Chicago, United States;A bit of a.m. snow;5;-7;Partly sunny;-3;-9;NW;27;54%;49%;2 Colombo, Sri Lanka;Partly sunny;32;24;A t-storm in spots;30;24;ENE;9;75%;86%;7 Copenhagen, Denmark;Inc. clouds;2;1;A snow shower;2;0;W;14;92%;87%;0 Dakar, Senegal;Turning cloudy;28;21;Partly sunny;26;21;N;22;54%;0%;6 Dallas, United States;Sunny and mild;24;5;Sunny and cooler;14;3;WSW;14;42%;2%;3 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;Mostly cloudy;31;24;Some sun, a shower;31;25;NNE;19;79%;53%;9 Delhi, India;Clouds and sun;24;12;Hazy sun;23;10;NW;7;69%;1%;4 Denver, United States;Mostly sunny, mild;15;0;Sunny and mild;18;2;SW;10;18%;2%;2 Dhaka, Bangladesh;Warmer;30;21;Rather cloudy;30;19;NE;8;67%;3%;3 Dili, East Timor;A shower;35;23;An afternoon shower;33;23;SSW;6;65%;60%;11 Dublin, Ireland;Partly sunny, chilly;4;-1;Rain and drizzle;6;3;W;18;91%;84%;1 Dushanbe, Tajikistan;Plenty of sun;8;-1;Clouds and sun;7;-2;NNE;9;40%;40%;2 Gibraltar, Gibraltar;Pouring morning rain;18;8;Mostly sunny;14;9;NNW;14;65%;2%;3 Hanoi, Vietnam;Cloudy;19;16;A shower or two;19;17;NNW;7;75%;88%;1 Harare, Zimbabwe;Rather cloudy;26;16;A little a.m. rain;25;17;NNE;11;59%;69%;9 Havana, Cuba;Mostly sunny;22;14;Mostly sunny;23;19;NW;12;53%;21%;3 Helsinki, Finland;Mostly cloudy;1;-1;Breezy with snow;4;-2;SW;26;94%;88%;0 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam;Mostly sunny;32;23;A morning shower;32;23;SSE;9;68%;61%;7 Hong Kong, China;Sunny and pleasant;23;16;Partly sunny;20;16;ENE;12;56%;16%;4 Honolulu, United States;A passing shower;28;21;A shower or two;27;20;N;13;62%;81%;2 Hyderabad, India;Sunny and nice;30;15;Sunny and nice;31;17;ESE;7;35%;1%;5 Islamabad, Pakistan;Cooler with rain;17;8;Periods of rain;17;6;NNW;7;77%;83%;1 Istanbul, Turkey;Plenty of sunshine;14;11;Clouds and sun;16;11;SSW;11;67%;21%;2 Jakarta, Indonesia;Afternoon showers;32;24;Cloudy, downpours;32;24;SW;12;82%;88%;3 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia;Mostly sunny, nice;30;22;Clouds and sun, nice;30;22;NNW;11;59%;0%;3 Johannesburg, South Africa;A t-storm in spots;23;14;Pleasant and warmer;28;15;NNW;16;49%;12%;14 Kabul, Afghanistan;Partly sunny;10;-3;Mostly sunny;8;-4;NNW;8;33%;37%;3 Karachi, Pakistan;Mostly sunny;26;12;Hazy sunshine;26;12;NW;10;17%;0%;4 Kathmandu, Nepal;Mostly sunny;23;6;Turning cloudy, nice;23;6;W;7;53%;2%;4 Khartoum, Sudan;Sunny and hot;36;20;Hot with sunshine;36;20;N;15;26%;0%;5 Kiev, Ukraine;Clouds and sun;4;3;Milder with some sun;10;4;SW;17;65%;20%;1 Kingston, Jamaica;Showers;28;25;Heavy showers;29;24;NNE;7;80%;96%;1 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo;A thunderstorm;31;23;More clouds than sun;32;23;W;9;69%;72%;8 Kolkata, India;Mostly cloudy;30;19;Partly sunny;30;18;S;7;71%;1%;4 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;A p.m. t-storm;30;25;A p.m. t-storm;31;25;WNW;7;79%;86%;4 La Paz, Bolivia;A t-storm in spots;16;3;A t-storm in spots;16;3;ENE;14;52%;55%;15 Lagos, Nigeria;Partly sunny;31;24;A shower in places;30;25;SSW;11;77%;63%;7 Lima, Peru;More clouds than sun;22;18;Mostly cloudy;23;18;SSE;14;70%;37%;11 Lisbon, Portugal;A passing shower;14;8;Mostly sunny;14;8;NNE;16;66%;4%;2 London, United Kingdom;Afternoon snow;3;-4;Partly sunny, cold;2;0;SSW;11;81%;57%;1 Los Angeles, United States;Mostly sunny;28;12;Plenty of sunshine;28;13;NNE;7;13%;2%;3 Luanda, Angola;Clearing;31;24;Partly sunny, nice;30;24;SSW;9;71%;42%;8 Madrid, Spain;A shower;11;0;Mostly sunny;10;-1;NE;6;61%;8%;2 Male, Maldives;Mostly sunny, nice;31;26;Partly sunny;31;25;SE;9;63%;14%;7 Manaus, Brazil;Clouds, a t-storm;31;24;A t-storm or two;29;23;WSW;9;87%;77%;2 Manila, Philippines;Clouds and sun;30;25;Partly sunny, nice;32;25;ENE;11;63%;44%;6 Melbourne, Australia;Partly sunny;24;12;Mostly sunny;27;14;E;12;57%;0%;11 Mexico City, Mexico;Mostly sunny;20;4;Mostly sunny;21;3;NNE;9;18%;0%;5 Miami, United States;Sunshine;21;9;Sunshine, pleasant;23;12;W;13;44%;8%;4 Minsk, Belarus;Cloudy;1;-1;Partly sunny, milder;6;1;SW;15;84%;44%;1 Mogadishu, Somalia;Mostly sunny, nice;31;24;Mostly sunny;31;24;ENE;21;61%;4%;9 Montevideo, Uruguay;Cooler;20;13;High clouds, warmer;27;17;NNE;13;51%;0%;6 Montreal, Canada;Partly sunny, cold;-9;-11;Snow;-3;-9;NNW;10;91%;92%;0 Moscow, Russia;Cloudy;2;-5;A little p.m. snow;1;0;S;12;61%;77%;1 Mumbai, India;Mostly sunny, nice;29;21;Hazy sunshine;28;21;N;12;60%;2%;5 Nairobi, Kenya;Some sun, pleasant;26;12;Partly sunny, nice;26;12;NNE;18;47%;2%;8 New York, United States;Clearing;5;1;A shower in the a.m.;10;-4;W;31;61%;63%;1 Nicosia, Cyprus;Partly sunny;19;9;Sunny and beautiful;21;9;NW;11;61%;0%;3 Novosibirsk, Russia;Colder;-5;-14;A little snow;-11;-16;WNW;8;90%;66%;1 Osaka-shi, Japan;Partly sunny, cooler;9;1;Partly sunny, chilly;6;1;W;23;45%;3%;1 Oslo, Norway;Snow showers;-1;-8;A snow shower;-5;-10;W;8;68%;61%;0 Ottawa, Canada;Mostly cloudy, cold;-8;-11;Breezy with snow;-5;-12;NW;23;86%;95%;0 Pago Pago, American Samoa;Spotty showers;28;25;A t-storm around;29;25;WSW;8;80%;97%;11 Panama City, Panama;Showers and t-storms;28;22;Showers and t-storms;29;23;NW;16;82%;70%;6 Paramaribo, Suriname;A passing shower;31;24;A t-storm in spots;30;24;ENE;11;77%;64%;5 Paris, France;Rain and drizzle;10;0;Partly sunny;5;2;SSW;11;62%;32%;2 Perth, Australia;Sunshine, not as hot;36;19;Sunny and cooler;27;16;S;26;51%;1%;12 Phnom Penh, Cambodia;Becoming cloudy;33;23;Partly sunny;32;24;NW;7;62%;14%;6 Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea;Rain, a thunderstorm;29;23;Cloudy, a t-storm;29;23;NNE;10;80%;68%;3 Port-au-prince, Haiti;Periods of sun;31;21;A p.m. shower or two;30;22;WNW;7;59%;86%;4 Prague, Czech Republic;Milder;7;4;A passing shower;6;-1;WSW;27;61%;66%;1 Pyongyang, North Korea;Much colder;-8;-15;Sunny, but very cold;-7;-16;NW;11;40%;0%;2 Quito, Ecuador;Morning showers;18;10;A few showers;18;11;SSW;12;70%;87%;4 Rabat, Morocco;Rain, some heavy;16;7;Occasional rain;15;4;ESE;10;59%;57%;2 Recife, Brazil;Partly sunny;31;26;A morning shower;31;25;E;14;65%;55%;11 Reykjavik, Iceland;Becoming cloudy;2;0;Snow and rain;3;-1;SE;10;83%;82%;0 Riga, Latvia;A snow shower;1;0;A bit of snow;7;2;SSW;20;93%;85%;0 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;Partly sunny;31;22;Rain and drizzle;24;21;E;13;72%;67%;3 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;Nice with sunshine;21;6;Sunshine and nice;24;5;N;12;13%;0%;4 Rome, Italy;A shower or two;17;14;Spotty showers;17;10;SW;20;74%;87%;2 Saint Petersburg, Russia;Low clouds;1;-5;A bit of p.m. snow;3;0;S;21;76%;81%;0 San Francisco, United States;Plenty of sunshine;18;9;Plenty of sunshine;18;8;NW;9;49%;2%;2 San Jose, Costa Rica;Showers and t-storms;20;17;A t-storm in spots;22;17;ENE;15;71%;45%;6 San Juan, Puerto Rico;Partly sunny;29;22;Partly sunny;30;22;SSE;10;67%;4%;5 San Salvador, El Salvador;Partly sunny, nice;22;15;Partly sunny;23;15;N;11;64%;14%;6 Sana'a, Yemen;Sunny and nice;26;0;Sunny and pleasant;24;1;ENE;10;5%;0%;6 Santiago, Chile;Not as warm;28;12;Nice with some sun;25;11;SW;12;56%;41%;12 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;Some sun, pleasant;29;20;An afternoon shower;28;21;SW;8;72%;45%;5 Sao Paulo, Brazil;Spotty showers;10;2;Mostly sunny;13;4;NE;8;70%;8%;2 Seattle, United States;Areas of morning fog;9;2;Mostly sunny;9;4;N;5;72%;9%;1 Seoul, South Korea;Sunny, much colder;-5;-12;Sunny, but very cold;-4;-11;NW;11;31%;0%;2 Shanghai, China;Sunny, but chilly;10;6;Partly sunny, chilly;10;6;ENE;16;48%;4%;2 Singapore, Singapore;Thunderstorms;32;25;Showers and t-storms;31;25;NNW;8;81%;92%;4 Sofia, Bulgaria;Not as cold;5;-5;Not as cool;10;-1;SSW;9;81%;0%;2 St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda;A shower or two;28;24;A shower in places;29;24;ESE;7;68%;42%;5 Stockholm, Sweden;A snow shower;1;0;Periods of wet snow;2;-5;WNW;15;95%;74%;0 Sydney, Australia;Sunny;27;20;Mostly sunny;27;20;NNE;22;59%;6%;12 Taipei City, Taiwan;Windy this afternoon;19;16;Rain and drizzle;19;17;E;18;72%;85%;1 Tallinn, Estonia;Partly sunny;-2;-3;Milder with snow;5;0;WSW;19;82%;88%;0 Tashkent, Uzbekistan;Partly sunny;5;-5;Sunny and cold;2;-5;ESE;8;83%;15%;2 Tbilisi, Georgia;Partly sunny;11;-1;Partly sunny;9;0;N;8;59%;3%;2 Tehran, Iran;Plenty of sunshine;12;1;Mostly sunny;10;0;SSW;10;31%;1%;3 Tel Aviv, Israel;Partly sunny, nice;26;14;Mostly cloudy, warm;26;14;S;7;33%;0%;2 Tirana, Albania;Mostly cloudy;16;11;A shower in places;18;10;ESE;8;65%;59%;1 Tokyo, Japan;Mostly sunny;16;2;Cooler;10;1;NNW;12;46%;4%;3 Toronto, Canada;A little p.m. snow;-2;-4;Cloudy, some snow;0;-9;NW;27;73%;86%;0 Tripoli, Libya;Sunny;20;10;Sunny and nice;22;11;SSE;5;44%;0%;3 Tunis, Tunisia;Mostly sunny, nice;22;10;Clouds and sun, nice;20;9;SSW;15;45%;3%;3 Ulan Bator, Mongolia;Turning cloudy, cold;-17;-24;Partly sunny, cold;-16;-24;ESE;8;66%;44%;2 Vancouver, Canada;Brilliant sunshine;10;4;Cloudy;10;4;NNE;5;61%;5%;1 Vienna, Austria;Increasingly windy;13;7;Spotty showers;10;1;WNW;21;63%;84%;0 Vientiane, Laos;Mostly cloudy;27;22;Decreasing clouds;27;21;ENE;8;62%;63%;1 Vilnius, Lithuania;Mostly cloudy;2;1;Milder;9;1;SW;22;72%;27%;1 Warsaw, Poland;Clouds and sun;7;5;Variable cloudiness;11;0;WSW;19;75%;41%;1 Wellington, New Zealand;Breezy with sunshine;21;17;Partly sunny;23;15;NNW;20;59%;29%;6 Yangon, Myanmar;Mostly sunny, nice;32;23;Sunny and humid;33;22;W;9;68%;16%;5 Yerevan, Armenia;Mostly sunny;4;-7;Plenty of sunshine;5;-6;ENE;4;48%;1%;2 _____ Copyright 2017 AccuWeather _____ Keywords: Forecast, Global, Celsius

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 20:00:00

Global Forecast-Celsius

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318000

Finding in suit vs. Neo-Nazi site founder favors radio host

CLEVELAND (AP) — A Muslim-American radio host has received a court judgment in his favor in his federal lawsuit against a neo-Nazi website publisher because the defendant never responded to the Ohio case in court. Dean Obeidallah accused The Daily Stormer's publisher, Andrew Anglin, of falsely labeling him as the "mastermind" behind a deadly bombing at concert in England last year. Cleveland.com reports neither Anglin nor any attorney for him responded, so the court entered a finding of default Tuesday. Obeidallah's attorneys said they had tried unsuccessfully to reach or locate Anglin or his legal representative through emails, private investigators and notices in a Columbus-area legal publication. Obeidallah didn't request a specific amount of damages. In that situation, judges typically have a hearing to determine the amount. No such hearing has been scheduled. ___ Information from: cleveland.com, http://www.cleveland.com

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 22:02:00

Finding in suit vs. Neo-Nazi site founder favors radio host

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474308

Fifth Harmony going on 'hiatus,' members to go solo

NEW YORK (AP) — Fifth Harmony is going on "hiatus." The girl group announced Monday on Twitter that Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane and Lauren Jauregui will pursue "solo endeavors." The group says the break will allow them "to gain new experiences, strengths and perspectives that we can bring back to our Fifth Harmony family." The group says it will perform remaining 2018 shows. Camila Cabello left the group in 2016. The singers auditioned as solo artists on "The X Factor" in 2012, but they were formed into a group and finished third in the competition. Fifth Harmony released their debut album "Reflection" in 2015. They released their third album "Fifth Harmony" in 2017

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 00:24:00

Fifth Harmony going on 'hiatus,' members to go solo

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385705

Harden has first 60-point triple-double in NBA history

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden became the first player in NBA history to score 60 points as part of a triple-double as the short-handed Houston Rockets beat the Orlando Magic 114-107 on Tuesday night. Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to eclipse the 57 points Calvin Murphy scored in 1978 to break Houston's single-game scoring record. After Harden broke the record, cameras in the arena showed a shot of Murphy, who works on the television broadcast team, smiling and clapping for the Beard, who also had 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The game was tied at 107 after a basket by Marreese Speights with just under four minutes to play. Neither team scored for more than two minutes after that before Harden took over, scoring the next six points to make it 113-107 with 45 seconds left. He set the scoring mark when he stepped back and made a 3-pointer before crashing to the court after being fouled by Mario Hezonja. He then made the free throw to give him 60 points and bringing the crowd to its feet. Harden, who also had four steals and a block, grabbed his 10th rebounds a few seconds later to give him his third triple double this season. He made 17 of 18 free throws and was 19 of 30 from the floor with five 3 pointers. Hezonja and Speights scored 17 points each for the Magic, who dropped their third straight. The Rockets started the game without Chris Paul, who has a sore groin, and Trevor Ariza, who is dealing with a strained hamstring. They lost another player when Eric Gordon, who is second on the team in scoring with 19.5 points a game, left early in the second quarter with lower back stiffness. Harden's big night came as he played a season-high 46 minutes and 26 seconds with Houston missing so many players. It was his fourth 50-point game this season and Tuesday's performance bested his previous career-high of 56 points set in November against Utah. Orlando led by two points with about 9 1/2 minutes left before the Rockets used a 10-4 run to make it 101-97 with about seven minutes to go. Harden made two 3-pointers in that stretch, and wowed the crowd on the second one that he came as the shot clock was about to expire and with Shelvin Mack right in his face. Houston didn't lead for long though, as Speights was fouled while making a 3-pointer and added the free throw to tie it seconds later. The Magic had a 2-point lead with about 5 1/2 minutes left before Houston used a 6-2 run, with all its points from Harden, to take a 107-105 lead with about four minutes left. The Rockets were up by 1 early in the third quarter when Harden scored all of the team's points in a 6-2 spurt that made it 64-59. Harden capped that run with his first 3-pointer of the game after missing all seven tries in the first half. Houston had pushed its lead to 7 later in the third after scoring four quick points. But the Magic used a 7-2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer by Mario Hezonja, to get within 72-70 midway through the quarter. The Magic tied it on a basket by Jonathon Simmons with about four minutes left in the third, but the Rockets used a 5-2 run to regain the lead, 83-80. Speights made a 3-pointer to put Orlando back on top with just under a minute remaining in the quarter, but Houston scored the last four points of the quarter to take a 90-88 lead into the fourth. Harden found Luc Mbah a Moute for a layup for the first basket in that span and added a jump shot just before the shot clock expired for the other points. Harden piled up 16 points in the first quarter and had 24 by halftime despite his early 3-point shooting woes. Orlando led 55-54 at halftime. TIP-INS Magic: Aaron Gordon missed the game with an injury to his left hip that he suffered on Saturday night. He will likely sit out Wednesday as well. ... Simmons and Mack added 15 points each. Rockets: Ariza injured his left hamstring on Sunday. ... Coach Mike D'Antoni said he doesn't expect Paul to miss much time with his injury. ... Clint Capela finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. UP NEXT Magic: Host Lakers on Wednesday night. Rockets: Visit San Antonio Thursday night.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 11:42:00

Harden has first 60-point triple-double in NBA history

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354633

The Latest: 8 Security Council members demand Syria action

BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): 1 a.m. Eight Security Council nations say it's "imperative" that the U.N. body Council "immediately pursue decisive action" to achieve a cease-fire in Syria if U.N. member states, especially Russia and its ally Syria, don't implement a resolution demanding a cessation of hostilities. A letter sent to all 15 council members on Monday expresses "profound concern" about the lack of implementation of the Feb. 24 resolution demanding a cease-fire throughout Syria without delay to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the critically ill and wounded. It singles out Russia and Syria as key to implementation. The letter was signed by France, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands. It says that implementing the resolution "could immediately save hundreds, if not thousands, of children, women and men who have suffered acutely during the past eight years of the brutal conflict in Syria." ___ 12:10 a.m. The U.N. human rights chief says the Syrian government's five-year siege of the Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta has involved "pervasive war crimes," use of chemical weapons and starvation as a weapon of war. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein told an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council late Monday that never before have military offensives against terrorism been used more often "to justify the unconscionable use of force against civilians than in the last few months in Syria." Russia earlier blocked his planned address to a formal meeting of the council. Zeid said "unlawful methods of warfare have been used by all parties" in Syria. But he singled out the Syrian government's claim that it makes every effort to protect civilians and dismissed it. In his words, "When you are capable of torturing and indiscriminately killing your own people, you have long forfeited your own credibility." ___ 11 p.m. Western nations on the U.N. Security Council and their supporters have quickly organized an informal briefing by the U.N. human rights chief on Syria after a Russian-led protest blocked him from addressing a formal council meeting. France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters after a procedural vote that Russia called for prevented High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein from addressing an open meeting in the council that he would deliver the same address at the informal meeting late Monday afternoon. Delattre criticized Russia for refusing any discussion of human rights in the Security Council when rights violations in Syria "are at their very peak." Russian deputy ambassador Gennady Kuzmin had argued that human rights have nothing to do with the council's mandate of ensuring international peace and security. But Sweden's U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog insisted that "human rights and peace and security are intimately linked." And Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador Jonathan Allen said Russia "doesn't want the truth of ... the appalling human rights abuses taking place." But he said: "We mustn't let them silence us. ___ 10:10 p.m. The U.N. human rights chief has been blocked from speaking to the Security Council about the situation in Syria after Russia, backed by China and others, protested that the U.N. body charged with ensuring international peace and security should not be discussing human rights. At the start of Monday afternoon's council meeting that was to be addressed by High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, Russia demanded a procedural vote on whether the meeting should be held. Under council rules, nine "yes" votes are required. After the issue was put to a vote, the result was 8 countries in favor, 4 against and 3 abstentions. So the meeting was canceled. It was a very rare defeat on a procedural issue at an open council meeting. But it reflected deep divisions at the Security Council over seven years of Syrian conflict that has involved President Bashar Assad's key ally Russia and Western nations including the U.S. and other supporters of the Syrian opposition. ___ 10 p.m. Turkey's president has vowed to expand military operations across northern Syria and even into neighboring Iraq after his forces drove Kurdish fighters from the northern Syrian town of Afrin. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the two-month-long Afrin campaign was the "most important phase" of the military operation launched on Jan. 20, which is aimed at driving Syrian Kurdish forces out of areas along the border. Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish militiamen as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents fighting inside Turkey. Erdogan said Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces would now press eastward, toward the town of Manbij and areas east of the Euphrates River, including Ayn al-Arab, the Arabic name for the Kurdish town of Kobani. Those areas are controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces, and U.S. troops are stationed there. ___ 8:30 p.m. The U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator in Syria is appealing for help to provide aid to tens of thousands of civilians affected by the fighting outside the Syrian capital and in the northern town of Afrin. Ali al-Za'tari says the civilians are in "desperate need," and are "tired, hungry, traumatized and afraid." Government forces are close to capturing the eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus, where they have waged a fierce monthlong air and ground campaign. Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces seized Afrin from Kurdish fighters on Sunday after a two-month offensive. The fighting in both places has killed hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of thousands. Al-Za'tari says the U.N., the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and other partners are "fully mobilized to deliver aid on the spot," but require permissions and security guarantees. The Syrian government has regularly blocked the delivery of aid to opposition-held areas. ___ 8 p.m. Syria has condemned Turkey's capture of the northern Syrian town of Afrin from Kurdish forces. The Syrian Foreign Ministry, in messages sent to the U.N. Security Council and secretary general on Monday, called on Turkey to withdraw its forces immediately from Syrian territories. Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces seized Afrin from a Kurdish militia on Sunday after a nearly two-month military campaign. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the move was "illegal" and called it an invasion. Turkey views the Kurdish forces as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey. Ankara denies it is invading or occupying Syrian land, saying it is only removing militants from areas along the border. ___ 6:30 p.m. Syrian President Bashar Assad's office has released videos showing the president driving himself to visit his forces at the battle for eastern Ghouta, just outside the capital, Damascus. The videos, released late Sunday and early Monday, show the president calm and assured. Other drivers on the road give no indication of knowing who is behind the wheel of the Honda sedan. Assad's forces in eastern Ghouta appear close to clinching one of their most significant victories against rebels in seven years of civil war. As he drove, he narrated his route to the camera and gave his thoughts on the battle. He said the images of civilians crossing over by the thousands to government authorities in eastern Ghouta showed that his government was still popular with his people and still possessed the "legitimacy" to rule. Eastern Ghouta has been under a crippling siege and heavy bombardment for weeks, with civilians packing into underground shelters. Some 1,500 civilians have been killed in the last month. ___ 6:15 p.m. The U.S. State Department says it is "deeply concerned" over the humanitarian situation following Turkey's capture of the town of Afrin in northern Syria from Kurdish forces. Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement Monday that the offensive forced the majority of the predominantly Kurdish population of Afrin to evacuate from the town. She said the U.S. calls on all parties to the conflict to allow humanitarian groups to access the displaced and develop a program for their safe and voluntary return. Nauert said the fighting in Afrin has distracted from the fight against Islamic State militants, allowing the extremists to begin to reconstitute in some areas. She said the U.S. is committed to its NATO ally Turkey and its security concerns, and is also committed to the fight against IS with its partners, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Nauert said U.S. officials have expressed their concern to Turkish officials about the situation in Afrin. ___ 4:15 p.m. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that after victory in Syria's Afrin region, his country will expand its military operations into other Kurdish-held areas in Syria as well as to Iraq's Sinjar region. Speaking at a ceremony for judicial appointments in Ankara, Erdogan said troops would target the Syrian city of Manbij, as well as Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani, and other towns along the border to the east of the Euphrates River. Those areas are controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces and U.S. troops are stationed there. Erdogan said Turkish troops could also cross into Iraq to drive out Kurdish militants from the region of Sinjar, if the Iraqi government is reluctant to oust militants from the area. Turkey says the region is becoming a headquarters for outlawed Kurdish rebels who have been fighting an insurgency in Turkey's southeast since 1984. Erdogan said "one night, we could suddenly enter Sinjar." He insisted Turkey had no intention of "invading" Syria, saying it was merely clearing the border area of terrorists. ___ 2:05 p.m. Syria's Kurdish militia says a British woman who had joined their ranks to fight in the northern town of Afrin has been killed in a Turkish airstrike. Nisrin Abdullah, spokeswoman of the Kurdish female militia known as YPJ, said on Monday that Anna Campbell was killed last Thursday. She is the first foreign national to die in the battle for Afrin. She is also the first British female fighter and the eighth Briton to die fighting alongside the Kurdish militia in Syria. The Press Association says Campbell was 26 years old from Lewes, East Sussex. Macer Gifford, a Briton who travelled with Campbell, said they arrived last May to eastern Syria, where they joined the U.S-backed Kurdish militia to fight against Islamic State militants. Gifford returned home after the fall of the city of Raqqa last summer. Gifford told The Associated Press via Twitter that Campbell, an animal rights activist, "was a lovely girl. Very opinionated and determined." He also says: "She loved the YPJ and the last I saw of her was her leaving to join them." ___ 1:50 p.m. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag says Turkey does not aim to invade the Syrian town of Afrin and will hand it over to "its real owners." Bozdag made the comments on Monday, a day after Turkish troops and Ankara-allied Syrian opposition forces captured Afrin. The town was taken nearly two month after Turkey launched its offensive to clear Afrin and surrounding districts of a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara considers to be a "terrorist" group, allied with Turkey's outlawed Kurdish rebels. Bozdag says" ''We are not invaders. The aim of our offensive is to clear the region of terror." He says the Syrian Kurdish forces retreated from Afrin because "they were afraid ... you see this very clearly when you look at ammunition and weapons that they left behind." He says the Kurdish fighters had left booby traps and other explosives inside Afrin. ___ 1:35 p.m. The European Union has slapped sanctions on a senior Syrian military officer and three scientists accused of links to the development and use of chemical weapons against civilians. EU headquarters said on Monday that the four work at the Scientific Studies and Research Center, a Syrian government agency the EU says produces chemical weapons and missiles to deliver them. The center has been under EU sanctions since Dec. 2011. The move brings to 261 the number of people targeted by an EU travel ban and asset freeze over the crackdown on Syrian civilians and support for the government of President Bashar Assad or associating with certain government officials. A further 67 entities — often companies, agencies and organizations — have had their assets frozen. ___ 12:40 p.m. A senior Syrian Kurdish official says Turkey's offensive on the Syrian town of Afrin is an "occupation" that endangers the rest of northern Syria. Aldar Khalil, a leading Kurdish official, on Monday condemned Turkey for the assault and for raising the Turkey's flag in a Syrian town. He says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to spread his influence in Syria as a way of restoring the Ottoman empire's former influence. He says: "The whole of northern Syria is in danger." Turkish troops and Syrian opposition fighters allied with Ankara captured Afrin on Sunday, nearly two months after Turkey began its offensive on the enclave. Erdogan, who first launched military operations in Syria in 2016, has repeatedly said Turkey will not allow a "terror corridor" along its border and has vowed to push eastward in Syria after Afrin, to prevent the Kurdish militia from linking up territories it controls in eastern and western Syria. ___ 9:50 a.m. The European Union's top diplomat is criticizing Turkey over its military offensive in a northern Syrian town and is calling on Ankara to ensure that fighting eases in the conflict-torn country. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says: "I am worried about this." Mogherini told reporters in Brussels on Monday that international efforts in Syria are supposed to be "aiming at de-escalating the military activities and not escalating them." She urged Turkey, Russia and Iran to guarantee that conflict "de-escalation zones" are established as promised, to "guarantee that that is what happens on the ground." Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday the capture of the town of Afrin, previously controlled by the Kurdish militia known as the People's Defense Units, or YPG. ___ 9:40 a.m. Turkey's state-run news agency says a booby trap bomb reportedly left by Syrian Kurdish fighters in the northern Syrian town of Afrin has killed 11 people — seven civilians and four Turkish-backed fighters. Anadolu Agency says the explosion occurred late on Sunday in a four-story building that Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces were clearing for explosives. Turkish troops and Syrian opposition fighters allied with Ankara marched into Afrin on Sunday, nearly two months after Turkey began its offensive on the enclave to drive out a Syrian Kurdish militia. Ankara considers the militia an extension of its own insurgency. Kurdish officials and a war monitor say some pockets of resistance remain in the town of Afrin but the Kurdish militia, known as YPG, has largely withdrawn. ___ 9:20 a.m. A Syria war monitoring group says Turkish-allied militiamen are looting the northern Syrian town of Afrin after the Turkish military and allied Syrian fighters seized control of it. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday the looting began on Sunday, after the Turkish and allied Syrian forces marched into the town center and raised their flags there — nearly two months after the offensive on the Kurdish enclave started. The troops faced little resistance from the Kurdish militia, which withdrew, vowing a "new phase" of guerrilla tactics against Turkish troops and their allied fighters. The Observatory, which monitors Syria's war through a network of activists on the ground, described extensive looting of shops, homes and cars in Afrin. It's unclear what Turkey plans after the capture of Afrin.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 19:00:00

The Latest: 8 Security Council members demand Syria action

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385852

2018 Waimushan sea swimming race in northern Taiwan begins accepting registration

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—The 2018 Waimushan (外木山) sea swimming race in Taiwan's northern port city of Keelung will take place on June 10, and registration for the race is open from now to May 4, the organizer of the event, Keelung City Government, announced on Tuesday. The annual sea swimming event had been held consecutively for 11 years until last year when it was canceled due to the impact of heavy rains. The swim will start from Hai Xing Pool (海興游泳池) and end at the Dawulun Beach (大武崙海灘), covering a total distance of 3,200 meters. Keelung City Government said only groups of three or more people and online registration will be accepted and that only people older than 10 years are eligible to participate. The registration fee is NT$600 (US$20) each, the organizer added. As the entry limit is 3,000 persons, the registration may end earlier when the total number is full, said Keelung Mayor Lin Yu- chang (林右昌), who also stated that he will participate in the race this year. For more information, please visit this website.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 21:04:00

As the entry limit is 3,000 persons, the registration may end earlier when the total number is full, Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413228

Virginia set to expand Medicaid, as Senate OKs proposal

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia is set to end a yearslong partisan battle and expand Medicaid after the state Senate voted Wednesday to approve a budget that expands the program's eligibility to about 400,000 low-income adults. The Senate passed Medicaid expansion by a 23-17 vote with four Republicans joining Democrats for passage. The budget still needs final approval from the House and Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. But that's expected to happen with little difficulty. Virginia will become the 33rd state to approve Medicaid expansion, according to a tally from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Wednesday's vote marked the end of a more than four-year battle over whether Virginia should expand the publicly funded health care program for the poor. A fight over Medicaid expansion led to a standoff over the state budget in 2014 and again this year. Sen. Ben Chafin, a Republican lawmaker from Virginia's economically depressed southwest coal country, announced his support for expansion on the Senate floor. He said his rural area needed expansion to help bolster its hospitals and provide care for constituents in need. "I came to the conclusion that no just wasn't the answer anymore," Chafin said. But several Republican senators remained strongly opposed, saying Medicaid costs would eventually overwhelm the rest of the state's budget needs for schools and public safety. "This is raising the cost of health care and will do nothing to help the people of Virginia," said GOP Sen. Mark Obenshain. Expanding Medicaid to cover more low-income families was a key provision of the Affordable Care Act advanced by former President Barack Obama. Virginia Democrats have pushed for years to expand Medicaid, saying their state should not pass up the roughly $2 billion in extra federal funding the program would bring to the state. Republicans had previously blocked past expansion efforts, saying the long-term costs were unsustainable. President Donald Trump has sought to negate his predecessor's health law — but ironically, his administration's embrace of work requirements for low-income people on Medicaid prompted lawmakers in some conservative states to resurrect plans to expand health care for the poor. A federal-state collaboration originally meant for poor families and severely disabled people, Medicaid has grown to become the largest government health insurance program, now covering 1 in 5 people. Obama's health care overhaul gave states the option of expanding Medicaid to cover more low-income adults. The GOP-controlled General Assembly's support for Medicaid comes despite Trump administration rejections. Virginia saw its state legislature reshaped by an anti-Trump wave last year, as Democrats made unexpectedly large gains in the state House. And a failure by the GOP-led Congress to repeal and replace the health law helped spur several of Virginia's Republican state legislators to flip positions. Democrats campaigned heavily on expanding Medicaid last year and some House Republicans are eager to take the issue off the table for next year's election, when both House and Senate seats are up.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 07:15:00

Virginia set to expand Medicaid, as Senate OKs proposal

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444604

UNITE Tomorrowland Taiwan 2018 kicks off at Dajia Riverside Park on July 28

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)- The music festival UNITE Tomorrowland Taiwan 2018 will kick off on Saturday, July 28 at Dajia Riverside Park, Taipei. What is Tomorrowland? Tomorrowland is a worldwide music carnival that features electronic music from famous DJs, unique stage designs and special sound and light effects. It was first held as an outdoor party by a night club in Boom, Belgium in 2005. As more music veterans joined the event, it soon grew in scale. After the Dutch entertainment company ID&T took over Tomorrowland, it started to develop various electronic music styles. In 2008, it reached its highest peak with 380,000 participants. In recent years, Tomorrowland began being staging overseas performances which are held simultaneously with the show in Belgium titled UNITE With Tomorrowland. The main stage in Belgium controls the sound and light effects in other countries via satellite. 2018 UNITE with Tomorrowland Taiwan Official trailer of 2018 UNITED With Tomorrowland (video by Tomorrowland) This year, Taiwan is the only country in East Asia to hold UNITE With Tomorrowland and alongside with other 6 countries, Abu Dhabi, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico and Spain. EDM fans will have a chance to enjoy the performance of many famous DJs on July 28 at Dajia Riverside Park. Tickets can be purchased on many online platforms, such as FunNow, ibon, festicket. For more information please visit the Tomorrowland official website and Facebook page. 2017 Tomorrowland Belgium trailer (YouTube video by Tomorrowland)

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 14:37:00

Taiwan is the only East Asian country to join with 6 other nations to hold the music carnival.The music festival UNITE With Tomorrowland will kick off on Saturday, July 28 at Dajia Riverside Park, Taipei.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3473720

ISIS-linked suspect arrested in Colombia showed hate online

MADRID (AP) — Spanish police say the man suspected of plotting an ISIS-inspired attack in Colombia appeared on their radar for his hate-filled messages toward the United States, a country where he had lived and was allegedly trying to get to. A Colombian judge jailed Raul Gutierrez last week on terrorism and conspiracy charges. On instant messaging app Telegram, the 45-year-old Cuban man said that he would commit a suicide attack in the name of God and the Islamic state, two of the Spanish investigators following the case told The Associated Press. The agents said the alleged attack was initially planned for March 6 but was later rescheduled for March 13. They spoke anonymously out of security concerns. Gutierrez was arrested on March 12.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 03:28:00

ISIS-linked suspect arrested in Colombia showed hate online

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385770

Disney shows how Han Solo and Lando meet at CinemaCon

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Walt Disney Studios has previewed a scene from the Star Wars spinoff "Solo" featuring the card game where Han Solo and Lando Calrissian meet at CinemaCon Tuesday in Las Vegas. The scene cuts off right as the two space scoundrels decide to bet their ships. The studio also unveiled early footage from its live-action adaption of "Dumbo" and "Aladdin," starring Will Smith as the Genie, and showed the first scene from "The Incredibles 2," which picks up right where the first left off in 2004. Both "Solo: A Star Wars" story and "The Incredibles 2" hit theaters this summer. Unlike most studio presentations at the annual theater owner convention, Disney doesn't generally bring out the stars of its films. Instead it lets the footage and behind-the-scenes reels do the selling.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-23 15:00:00

Disney shows how Han Solo and Lando meet at CinemaCon

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413434

Wednesday's Major League Linescores

AMERICAN LEAGUE Toronto 000 002 002—4 6 1 Boston 001 012 02x—6 11 1 Gaviglio, Oh (7), Tepera (8) and Maile; Rodriguez, Barnes (7), Johnson (9), Kimbrel (9) and Vazquez. W_Rodriguez 6-1. L_Gaviglio 2-1. Sv_Kimbrel (18). HRs_Toronto, Hernandez (8). Boston, Nunez (4), Martinez (18). ___ Chicago 000 000 001—1 5 2 Cleveland 205 200 00x—9 13 0 Lopez, Volstad (3), Avilan (4), Rondon (5), Fry (6), Jones (7), Soria (8) and Narvaez; Kluber, Beliveau (7), Marshall (8), Taylor (9) and Gomes. W_Kluber 8-2. L_Lopez 1-4. HRs_Chicago, Sanchez (3). Cleveland, Ramirez (17), Encarnacion (13). ___ NATIONAL LEAGUE St. Louis 000 000 200—2 8 1 Milwaukee 000 010 20x—3 10 1 Reyes, Gant (5), Lyons (7), Tuivailala (7) and Kelly; Guerra, Jeffress (7), Hader (8), Knebel (9) and Kratz, Pina. W_Jeffress 5-0. L_Tuivailala 1-1. Sv_Knebel (5). HRs_St. Louis, Bader (5). Milwaukee, Yelich (7). ___ Cincinnati 000 402 001—7 12 0 Arizona 301 000 000—4 13 1 Romano, W.Peralta (6), Hughes (7), Garrett (7), Iglesias (8) and Barnhart; Corbin, Salas (7), Chafin (8), McFarland (9) and Murphy. W_Romano 3-6. L_Corbin 5-2. Sv_Iglesias (9). HRs_Cincinnati, Schebler (6), Duvall (10). Arizona, Goldschmidt (7), Murphy (7).

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 06:55:00

Wednesday's Major League Linescores

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444596

Limited Edition Skechers D’Lites & Toei Animation One Piece Collection to Launch in Europe

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--After initially launching in Asia and with an upcoming debut in the United States and Canada, SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX) is extending its popular anime collaboration to Europe as well with the launch of Skechers X One Piece. The colorful collection unites Toei Animation’s popular anime series with Skechers D’Lites, one of the footwear company’s original styles. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005239/en/ Skechers launches limited edition One Piece collection in Europe (Photo: Business Wire) “Pairing the iconic long-running anime series One Piece with one of our top heritage styles resonated with our consumers in South Korea and China who have been driving trends for the past few years,” began Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “And now fashion moves at light speed, so as influencers around the world had already been embracing Skechers D’Lites and the chunky sneaker trend, we started to see style purveyors—from Hypebae, Hypebeast, GQ, and High Snobiety —covering Skechers X One Piece collaboration as a must have fashion style. We’ve moved fast to share the collaboration with the United States, Canada, and now Europe—one of the largest international markets for Skechers.” “We’re thrilled to partner with an amazing global footwear brand in Skechers to launch this exciting fashion initiative across Europe,” said Ryuji Kochi, President of Toei Animation Europe. “Skechers D’Lites embody an energetic trend that’s been taking the world by storm and much like the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, our fans are always enthusiastically seeking out the next new adventure in life, so this partnership is a perfect fit. We are confident that the combined merchandising efforts of both Toei Animation and Skechers will bring long-lasting success for this collaboration.” “The red hot chunky sneaker look has been taking over fashion runways in Europe, creating intense buzz,” added Marvin Bernstein, managing partner of SKECHERS S.à.r.l. “So it’s a unique opportunity for us to bring the collaboration of the D’Lites, the originator of the chunky look, and the legendary One Piece series to Europe where we expect it will resonate with stylish consumers across the continent. We’re thrilled that this is all happening with Toei Animation, the pioneers of Japanese animation.” Originally exclusive to the South Korean and China markets, the collection will be imported to Europe in multiple different colorways—each embracing a unique One Piece character: Luffy, Chopper, Sanji, Zoro, Law, and Doflamingo. The footwear will be available beginning July 2018 at Skechers retail stores and select specialty stores in France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain/Portugal, United Kingdom, and Central Eastern Europe [Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia]. Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is the best-selling manga in history with more than 430 million copies worldwide. In 1997, it spawned an acclaimed anime series that has produced 830+ episodes plus 15 movies. Following the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his fearless Straw Hat Pirates, fans are taken on a fantastical journey across a world teeming with wonders and imagination. A multi-generational property, it continues to captivate viewers both young and old. The story and its characters have also expanded across other media into film, television, and video/mobile games, as well as a theme park in Japan. Skechers pioneered the chunky sneaker look two decades ago with the Skechers Energy for men and women as well as the Skechers Stamina for men. The style evolved and the Company introduced Skechers D’Lites—a lighter version of its original style—in 2007. Though the collection has always had a dedicated consumer base, sales accelerated across Asia over the last two years after regional marketing included K-Pop groups. In 2017, the Company relaunched an even lighter update of Skechers D’Lites in celebration of its ten-year anniversary. About SKECHERS USA, Inc. SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops, and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women, and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States and over 170 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, 2,651 SKECHERS Company-owned and third-party-owned retail stores, and the Company’s e-commerce websites. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia and the Middle East, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, throughout Europe, and Latin America. For more information, please visit skechers.com and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/SKECHERS) and Twitter (twitter.com/SKECHERSUSA). About Toei Animation Europe Founded in 1956 in Tokyo, Toei Animation ranks amongst the world’s most prolific animation production studios. The company’s operations include animation development and production, and worldwide marketing and program licensing with sales offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Paris. Toei Animation Europe is managing the distribution and exploitation of Toei Animation’s animated series in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Among its most famous titles: Dragon Ball, One Piece, Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Mazinger Z, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and Captain Future. www.toei-animation.com This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Skechers’ future domestic and international growth, financial results and operations including expected net sales and earnings, its development of new products, future demand for its products, its planned domestic and international expansion, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, and advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will result,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include international economic, political and market conditions including the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers; decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in Skechers’ annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and the companies cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can the companies assess the impact of all such risk factors on their respective businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005239/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact: SKECHERS CORPORATE Jennifer Clay, (310) 937-1326 jennc@skechers.com or SKECHERS UK/IRELAND Will Cheung, +441707655955 willch@eu.skechers.com or SKECHERS CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE Gordana Dulic, +36 30 749 1258 gordanad@eu.skechers.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES EUROPE NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: WOMEN ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING (ENTERTAINMENT) TV AND RADIO FILM & MOTION PICTURES GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT CHILDREN RETAIL FASHION OTHER RETAIL CONSUMER FAMILY MEN SOURCE: SKECHERS USA, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 03:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 03:00 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005239/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-23 15:00:00

Limited Edition Skechers D’Lites & Toei Animation One Piece Collection to Launch in Europe

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413508

USC student could face life in hospital in professor's death

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge ruled Tuesday that a USC graduate student accused of stabbing a professor to death on campus was not guilty by reason of insanity. The ruling, based on reports from two psychiatrists, means that David Jonathan Brown could spend the rest of his life in a state psychiatric hospital. The 29-year-old has a March 6 hearing to determine where he will be placed. Brown killed his mentor, Siaufung "Bosco" Tjan, on Dec. 2, 2016, inside the University of Southern California building where the 50-year-old psychology professor ran an intensive lab that studied vision loss, authorities said. The killing occurred on the final day of classes before final examinations. Prosecutors said that Brown told authorities he believed he was "a victim of human experimentation." Tjan's widow spoke during the hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court. "He was not a soldier in a war zone or policeman in a dangerous street. He was murdered in his research lab," Carissa Pang said, according to City News Service. "I feel helpless when my son asked me why his father was killed," she said. She said she told him that the killer was "having bad thoughts." Brown's family "gives their condolences and hopes that you find some solace," defense attorney Steve Schoenfield told her. Tjan's family will be notified of any changes in where Brown is housed and what treatment he receives, Judge Leslie A. Swain told Pang. After the killing, Brown's fellow graduate students described him as nice and intelligent but possibly troubled. Brenton Keller wrote on Facebook that classmates knew things weren't right because Brown wouldn't always finish his work and would go missing for weeks at a time.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 07:10:00

USC student could face life in hospital in professor's death

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354513

Port of Brownsville and Big River Steel LLC Sign Option Agreement

BROWNSVILLE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--The Brownsville Navigation District Board of Commissioners – the governing body for the Port of Brownsville – has signed an option agreement covering up to 800 acres of property with Big River Steel LLC enabling the steel-maker to continue its due diligence pursuant to the company’s interest in developing a LEED-certified steel manufacturing plant, storage and distribution facility. The plant would cost more than $1.6 billion to construct. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006657/en/ The Port of Brownsville is the only deepwater seaport directly on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the largest land-owning public port authority in the nation with 40,000 acres of land. (Photo: Business Wire) “This is good news for Brownsville and the result of hard work by many individuals and organizations over a long period of time. Our rail partner OmniTRAX played an important role in introducing this opportunity to the port,” stated John Wood, Chairman of the BND. “We are excited about this step forward and remain confident the venture will be beneficial for all parties, for Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley. “The addition of 500 new full-time local jobs, and the impact of those jobs in terms of retail spending, services, and new housing impacts represent a transformational moment for Brownsville and the Valley,” Chairman Wood continued. Wood expects up to 1,500 construction workers would be needed to build the specialized steel plant. Additional details will be provided as they become available. About the Port of Brownsville: The Port of Brownsville is the only deepwater seaport directly on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the largest land-owning public port authority in the nation with 40,000 acres of land. It transships more steel into Mexico than any other U.S. port. In 2017, the Port of Brownsville moved 10.6 million tons of cargo. The port’s Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 is currently ranked second in the nation for the value of exports, reporting more than $2.8 billion in exported goods in 2016. FTZ No. 62 has consistently ranked in the top three nationally since 2012, and this marks the second time in two years that it achieved the nation’s number two ranking. With more than $43 billion worth of projects currently in the works, the Port of Brownsville is transforming the Rio Grande Valley by creating positive investment opportunities and jobs. Activity at the port is responsible for adding more than $2 billion to the regional economy, $3 billion to the Texas economy, and for the creation of more than 44,000 jobs. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006657/en/ CONTACT: Port of Brownsville Steve Tyndal, 956-346-3591 Senior Director styndal@portofbrownsville.com www.portofbrownsville.com or Patty Gonzales, 956-346-4148 Director of Communications pgonzales@portofbrownsville.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRANSPORT MARITIME OTHER TRANSPORT MANUFACTURING LOGISTICS/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT STEEL SOURCE: Port of Brownsville Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 05:45 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 05:45 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006657/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 05:45:00

Port of Brownsville and Big River Steel LLC Sign Option Agreement

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413730

US factory output rises for 2nd straight month in latest sign of manufacturing rebound

WASHINGTON (AP) — US factory output rises for 2nd straight month in latest sign of manufacturing rebound.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 22:15:00

US factory output rises for 2nd straight month in latest sign of manufacturing rebound

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095825

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Chip Ganassi wants to keep rolling after 200th victory

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chip Ganassi likes to tell his drivers there is no such thing as accidents, all are preventable. Unless, of course, a meteor falls from the sky and destroys a race car. That's the only true accident, according to the veteran team owner. His two cars had the GT Le Mans class well covered last weekend at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, which should have been a relief for Ganassi. The team of Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller and Sebastien Bourdais was most dominant for over 22 hours, but was caught by strategy and beaten by the sister team of Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Scott Dixon. The two cars combined to lead all but nine of the 783 laps in class completed at Daytona International Speedway. That's an agonizing feeling for a car owner, Ganassi said, because it would literally take a meteor to snatch certain victory. Nothing short of a catastrophe was going to keep one of his Ford GT's out of victory lane. It was nerve-wracking for Ganassi, and perhaps 24 hours of tension muted the post-race party for his 200th win as an organization. He was still reluctant to celebrate Wednesday and said that 200 victories are a testament to team manager Mike Hull and a winning culture that stretches through his organization. "My hat is off to the team, the job that those guys do," Ganassi said. "There will be time to reflect on that another time. This is the beginning of the season, it was the beginning of the sports car season. The beginning of the NASCAR season is coming up, then the beginning of the IndyCar season. I think it is my job as the guy who operates the company is to just get everyone launched. Let's get this thing started, let's go win some races and go win some championships." The 1-2 finish at Daytona was the eighth at the Rolex for Ganassi, who was also the grand marshal for the race. His teams have won six overall Rolex's and two of three class victories since he dropped from prototype to GTLM in 2016. Ganassi's first win came in IndyCar when Michael Andretti won in 1994 at Australia. The 100th win also came in an IndyCar race when Dixon won in 2008 at Nashville. Ganassi has won championships with Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti and Dixon. He's won the 500 with Montoya, Franchitti and Dixon. Ganassi is the only team owner to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Rolex and 12 Hours of Sebring. It was fitting that the winning team included Dixon, who will end his career as one of the greatest in IndyCar. He has 41 career victories with Ganassi, and at 16 years with the team owner is the longest-tenured driver in organization history. Dixon and Ganassi both joke that Dixon's job security is because he never calls his boss and never complains. The reality is that driver and car owner both want the same thing and take a straightforward approach to accomplishing goals. "Everybody thrives in the winning culture that this team has, and they've definitely proven it in many ways with Chip, obviously across many different disciplines in auto racing," Dixon said. Last week, Roger Penske's return to sports cars was celebrated and The Captain earned the spotlight for the precision of his operation (and the fact he stayed awake the entire 24 hours). But it was Ganassi's team that put on a clinic. The two owners are rivals in IndyCar, NASCAR and now sports cars. Dixon was aware the Penske presence could be rattling to competitors. The Ganassi guys didn't look twice. They knew they had the equipment and effort to get the job done. "Everybody just wants to win," Dixon said. "That's the most simple thing: We come here each weekend to win. There's no thinking about finishing (the race) or finishing second." Next up is a return trip to Daytona for the start of NASCAR's season. A month after that, IndyCar begins and Ganassi's calendar will be filled with racing. "I don't want to sound too ambitious here, but I will tell you that I think the team is certainly poised to do well across all sectors," Ganassi said. ___ More AP Auto Racing: https://racing.ap.org/

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 06:11:00

Chip Ganassi wants to keep rolling after 200th victory

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355011

Spokeswoman says US Rep. Hoyer hospitalized with pneumonia

WASHINGTON (AP) — A spokeswoman says Democratic U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland is being treated at a Washington hospital for pneumonia but is expected to recover quickly. Spokeswoman Katie Grant said Wednesday in an emailed statement that the congressman was being treated with antibiotics and resting after being admitted to The George Washington University Hospital a day earlier. Grant says the 79-year-old Hoyer was diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia. She says Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, looks forward to being back at work "very soon."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-05 04:11:00

Spokeswoman says US Rep. Hoyer hospitalized with pneumonia

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474408

Machado to move from 3B to SS for Orioles, Showalter says

BALTIMORE (AP) — Even if Manny Machado doesn't switch teams this season, he almost certainly will be changing his position in the infield. Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Saturday that Machado will move from third base to shortstop this spring, and shortstop Tim Beckham will be shifted to third. The shuffle will become permanent unless something goes wrong — or Machado gets traded to another club. "There could be some adjustments if we don't like the feel of it, but that's where we're going to head into it," Showalter said at FanFest, an annual offseason event designed to promote interest in the club. Machado and second baseman Jonathan Schoop did not attend. Machado becomes a free agent after this year and is sure to demand a huge contract. The Orioles have entertained trade offers for the 25-year-old, who's been an All-Star in three of his six seasons with Baltimore. Dan Duquette, vice president of baseball operations for the Orioles, has to decide whether to deal Machado sometime between now and September or seek to sign him to a long-term deal. "That's a big decision for the organization, obviously," Duquette said. "But we're planning on Manny being with the club. We explored all those options. We think the strongest option is for Manny to be on the ballclub." Machado played in 156 games last season, offsetting a career-low .259 batting average with 33 home runs and 95 RBIs. He has averaged 35 home runs and 92 RBIs over the past three years. Machado avoided arbitration this month by agreeing to a $16 million contract for 2018. He received $11.5 million last season. Drafted as a shortstop as the third overall pick in 2010, Machado played third base with Baltimore next to slick-fielding J.J. Hardy, whose contract expired after last season. So when they return to the field next month in Florida, the Orioles will have Machado at shortstop with Beckham on his left. Beckham came to Baltimore from Tampa Bay in July and played shortstop for the injured Hardy over the final two months. "I think Tim would rather play shortstop, as Manny would," Showalter said. "Tim's big thing is getting an opportunity to play every day at one position. We need to settle both those guys into a spot and let them get into it." Showalter said Machado was enthusiastic about the switch. "All indications are, he's really excited about this," Showalter said. "I can't imagine him being in a better frame of mind or setup to do this. I think out of his respect for J.J. the past few years he's been very professional about it. But it's not like he's changing positions. He's going back to the position he's equipped to play." Deciding what to do with Machado is only one problem Duquette has faced this offseason. He's also been trying to fill out a starting rotation that currently consists of Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman and perhaps Miguel Castro, who made his first major league start on Sept. 30 after pitching in relief for 75 games over three seasons. "Obviously we have work to do to address some of the deficiencies on our ballclub," Duquette said. "We're going to continue to build our pitching staff, most notably the starting pitching." If Castro joins the rotation, the Orioles will be further pressed to fill out the back end of the bullpen. Closer Zach Britton tore his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout and will likely miss the entire 2018 season, leaving setup man Brad Brach the odds-on favorite to take over as the stopper. "I'm hoping I get a shot to close. I'd be lying if I say I didn't," said Brach, who served significant time as a closer in 2017 while Britton was sidelined with elbow and knee issues. Brach had 18 saves but blew six chances. "I think I did all right," Brach said. "Hopefully, I get another chance to do it." ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

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2018-01-28 02:40:00

Machado to move from 3B to SS for Orioles, Showalter says

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353775

UK Brexit law faces battle as leaked paper sees economic woe

LONDON (AP) — Britain's key piece of Brexit legislation is starting a new battle in Parliament, as the government downplays a leaked internal document saying leaving the European Union will hurt the U.K. economy. The House of Lords on Tuesday began scrutinizing the EU Withdrawal Bill, which is designed to convert thousands of EU laws into British statutes when the U.K. leaves the bloc in March 2019. Without it, Britain could face a legal black hole after Brexit. A majority of members of Parliament's unelected upper house oppose Brexit, and will try to amend the legislation. Meanwhile, an assessment prepared for the government and leaked to news site BuzzFeed forecasts that Brexit will leave the economy between 2 percent and 8 percent worse off, depending what trade deal Britain strikes with the EU.

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2018-01-30 20:00:00

UK Brexit law faces battle as leaked paper sees economic woe

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354174

Pakistani army: Militants attack patrol, killing 2 soldiers

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's army says militants opened fire on an army vehicle on patrol in the country's mountainous northwestern region near the Afghan border, killing two soldiers. Tuesday's statement says the military vehicle came under attack in the North Waziristan tribal region. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Islamic militants have long been operating in the area. The military has carried out massive operation against them but militants are able to cross the porous Afghan-Pakistan border and shelter on the other side. They have also been able to carry out cross-border attacks. The Pakistani army has been constructing a series of fences along the border, which zigzags across a remote and difficult mountain terrain, to check the movement of militants. Afghanistan objects to the construction of the fences.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 14:58:00

Pakistani army: Militants attack patrol, killing 2 soldiers

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318556

Gunman who shot congressman had history of anti-GOP activity

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — The gunman who shot a top GOP congressman and several other people Wednesday at a baseball practice outside the nation's capital had a long history of lashing out at Republicans and once frightened a neighbor by firing a rifle into a field behind his Illinois house. James T. Hodgkinson, 66, wounded House Rep. Steve Scalise before he was fatally shot by police who had been guarding the House majority whip. In the hours after the attack in Alexandria, Virginia, a picture began to emerge of an attacker with a mostly minor arrest record who worked as a home inspector and despised the Republican Party. On Facebook, Hodgkinson was a member of a group called "Terminate the Republican Party," a fact that seemed to take on new meaning in light of an account from South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan, who said that as he was preparing to leave the baseball field, a man politely asked him whether it was a Democrat or Republican team before quietly walking off. Until recently, Hodgkinson ran a home-inspection business out of his house. His Facebook page shows that he was a fan of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who last year made an unsuccessful presidential bid. Sanders acknowledged Wednesday that Hodgkinson had apparently been among many volunteers on his 2016 campaign. A search of online newspapers show that Hodgkinson frequently wrote letters to his hometown newspaper, the Belleville News-Democrat, which published nearly two dozen letters between 2010 and 2012, many of which included complaints about the same theme: income inequality. Hodgkinson, who lived in the community just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, compared the economic conditions of the time to those that preceded the Great Depression and excoriated Congress for not increasing the number of tax brackets and taking other tax reform measures. On May 14, 2010, he wrote: "I don't envy the rich; I despise the way they have bought our politicians and twisted our laws to their benefit." Less than a year later, on March 4, 2011, he wrote that Congress should rewrite tax codes to ease the tax burdens of the middle class. "Let's get back to the good ol' days, when our representatives had a backbone and a conscience," he wrote. Later that year, in October 2011, he applauded the Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York and Boston, writing that the demonstrators "are tired of our do-nothing Congress doing nothing while our country is going down the tubes." Hodgkinson also had arrests in his background for a series of minor offenses and at least one more serious offense. Court records show that his legal trouble started in the 1990s with arrests for resisting police and drunken driving. His most serious problems came in 2006, when he was arrested on a battery charge. In April 2006, he was arrested on two counts of battery — one for striking a man in the face with a wood shotgun stock and another for punching a woman with his fist, as well as a count of unlawful damage to a motor vehicle for cutting the passenger seatbelt of the woman's car with a knife. According to the court clerk, the charges were dismissed in November of that year. Though there are no other legal problems listed in St. Clair County, which includes Belleville, since 2011, Hodgkinson did come to the attention of local law enforcement as recently as March 24 of last year. Bill Schaumleffel recalled that he heard loud shots being fired outside his house, which stands about 500 feet behind Hodgkinson's home. When he went outside, he saw Hodgkinson shooting a rifle into or on a cornfield. He was squeezing off five or six shots at a time and, according to the report of the incident, fired about 50 shots in all. "I yelled, 'Quit shooting toward the houses,'" he said. When Hodgkinson refused to stop, Schaumleffel called the sheriff's department. "I told the sheriff, 'I don't know what's the matter with that guy, but he can't be shooting like that,'" he said. St. Clair County Sheriff Rick Watson said Wednesday that Hodgkinson showed the deputy all required firearms licenses and documentation involving the high-powered hunting rifle, which he said he was simply using for target practice. The deputy cautioned Hodgkinson about doing such shooting around homes, given that the rounds can travel up to a mile. No charges were filed. "He said, 'I understand,' and said he needed to take the gun to a range to shoot it, Watson said. "There was nothing we could arrest him for, and there was no indication he was mentally ill or going to harm anyone. "The only thing I was concerned about was that it was such a high-powered gun, and that somebody could possibly get hurt. We try to make sure people are reasonable when doing this." Watson said the deputy on Wednesday recalled Hodgkinson as being "very cordial." Dale Walsh, 65, of Belleville, said he was a lifelong friend of Hodgkinson's. He said Hodgkinson spent most of his life building homes but in recent years turned to home inspections. Walsh said Hodgkinson never talked politics with him and did not seem prone to violence. But he said he was a passionate person who occasionally got into fights. "He was the type of person that if you challenged him, he wouldn't back off." ____ Babwin reported from Chicago. Jim Suhr in Kansas City, Missouri; John O'Connor in Springfield; and Jake Pearson in Washington also contributed to this report.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 02:26:00

Gunman who shot congressman had history of anti-GOP activity

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Rays' Eovaldi stellar in return from Tommy John surgery

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi pitched six innings of no-hit ball in his return to the majors following a second Tommy John surgery, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night. Eovaldi (1-0) faced one over the minimum through six innings in his Tampa Bay debut. He threw 70 pitches and had four strikeouts. The only runner to reach base against him was Matt Chapman, who drew a one-out walk in the first. Wilmer Font, acquired by the Rays from the A's last Friday, gave up Jed Lowrie's one-out single in the seventh for Oakland's only hit of the game. Vidal Nuno got the last three outs to finish the one-hitter. Rob Refsnyder hit a three-run home run off A's starter Sean Manaea (5-6), and Johnny Field also homered for the Rays. The game drew an announced crowd of 6,295, the smallest at the Coliseum since April 3, 2003. Eovaldi last pitched in the majors on Aug. 10, 2016, for the Yankees. Nine days later, he underwent a second elbow surgery. Eovaldi also had Tommy John surgery in 2007 when he was a junior in high school. The 28-year-old missed the first month of this season after undergoing surgery March 30 to remove loose bodies in his elbow. Eovaldi made four rehab starts in the minors before being activated off the disabled list prior to Wednesday's game. Eovaldi, the 12th pitcher in major league history to start in the majors after having two Tommy John surgeries, induced seven groundouts and retired the final 17 batters he faced following the walk to Chapman. Font then came in and retired Matt Chapman on a liner to shortstop in the seventh before Lowrie pushed a single up the middle. Nuno replaced Font in the ninth and gave up a leadoff walk to Chad Pinder then retired the next three batters. That was all the offense the A's could muster while being shut out by the Rays for the second time in three games. Oakland went into the game batting .216 in May, the second-lowest average in the majors. TRAINER'S ROOM Athletics: INF Marcus Semien was placed on the paternity leave list before the game. Chad Pinder started at shortstop in Semien's absence. RHP Josh Lucas was called up from Triple-A Nashville. ... RHP Liam Hendriks began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville. UP NEXT Tampa Bay RHP Ryne Stanek (1-0, 3.24 ERA) will make his second career start, three days after getting a win coming out of the bullpen. RHP Daniel Mengden (5-4, 2.85) goes for Oakland. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

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2018-05-31 00:00:00

Rays' Eovaldi stellar in return from Tommy John surgery

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444860

US Nobel laureate fears US politics could undermine science

STOCKHOLM (AP) — An American scientist who shared this year's Nobel Prize for medicine bluntly criticized political developments at home in his address at the awards' gala banquet, saying that U.S. scientists are facing funding cutbacks that will hurt research. Michael Rosbash, who was honored for his work on circadian rhythms — commonly called the body clock — expressed concern that U.S. government funding such as that received by him and Nobel colleagues Jeffrey Hall and Michael Young is endangered. "We benefited from an enlightened period in the postwar United States. Our National Institutes of Health have enthusiastically and generously supported basic research ... (but) the current climate in the U.S. is a warning that continued support cannot be taken for granted," Rosbash said in a short speech Sunday night at Stockholm's ornate city hall. The 2018 federal budget proposed by President Donald Trump calls for cutting science funding by billions of dollars. "Also in danger is the pluralistic America into which all three of us of born were born and raised after World War II," Rosbash said. "Immigrants and foreigners have always been an indispensable part of our country, including its great record in scientific research." Literature laureate Kazuo Ishiguro of Britain expressed concern about increasing tensions between social factions. "We live today in a time of growing tribal enmities of communities fracturing into bitterly opposed groups," said Ishiguro, who was born in Japan. He said Nobel prizes can counterbalance such animosity. "The pride we feel when someone from our nation wins a Nobel prize is different from the one we feel witnessing one of our athletes winning an Olympic medal. We don't feel the pride of our tribe demonstrating superiority over other tribes. Rather it's the pride that from knowing that one of us has made a significant contribution to our common human endeavor," he said. In the Norwegian capital of Oslo, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima compared her struggle to survive in 1945 to the objectives of the group awarded this year's Nobel's Peace Prize. Setsuko Thurlow, who was 13 when the U.S. bomb devastated her Japanese city during the final weeks of World War II, spoke as a leading activist with the Nobel-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. Thurlow said the Hiroshima blast left her buried under the rubble, but she was able to see light and crawl to safety. In the same way, the campaign to which she belongs is a driving force behind an international treaty to ban nuclear weapons, she said after ICAN received the Nobel prize it won in October. "Our light now is the ban treaty," Thurlow said. "I repeat those words that I heard called to me in the ruins of Hiroshima: 'Don't give up. Keep pushing. See the light? Crawl toward it.'" The treaty has been signed by 56 countries — none of them nuclear powers — and ratified by only three. To become binding it requires ratification by 50 countries. ICAN Executive Director Beatrice Fihn, who accepted the prize along with Thurlow, said that while the treaty is far from ratification "now, at long last, we have an unequivocal norm against nuclear weapons." "This is the way forward. There is only one way to prevent the use of nuclear weapons — prohibit and eliminate them," Fihn said. The prize winners were announced in October. All except the peace prize were awarded in Sweden on Sunday. The other laureates were American Richard Thaler for his work in behavioral economics; American physicists Kip Thorne, Rainer Weiss and Barry Barish for confirming the existence of gravity waves; and Jacques Dubochet of Switzerland, American Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson of the United Kingdom for advances in electron microscopy. ___ Heintz reported from Moscow.

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2017-12-11 14:00:00

US Nobel laureate fears US politics could undermine science

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317837

EU, Israel meet on peace process, status of Jerusalem

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the issues of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the chances of reinvigorating negotiations on the peace process. Mogherini has joined many EU leaders in expressing disapproval of the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. She said during a joint media address Monday that "the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states with Jerusalem as the capital of both." Netanyahu insisted that what U.S. President Donald Trump did was "put facts squarely on the table. Peace is based on reality." He said the reality of seeing Jerusalem as Israel's capital "doesn't obviate peace, it makes peace possible."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 15:53:00

EU, Israel meet on peace process, status of Jerusalem

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317791

Leicester forward Ahmed Musa returns to CSKA Moscow on loan

MOSCOW (AP) — Leicester has sent Nigeria forward Ahmed Musa back to CSKA Moscow on loan until the end of the season. Musa joined Leicester from CSKA in 2016 but scored only twice in 21 games last season. He spent much of this season with Leicester's reserve team and only played one game in the English League Cup, scoring against Sheffield United. In a statement on the Russian club's website, Musa says CSKA is "truly my home, a champion team," adding, "I'm back in the red-and-blue family." CSKA is likely to offer Musa regular game time as he prepares to represent Nigeria at the World Cup. Nigeria will face Croatia, Iceland and Argentina in the group stage.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 18:52:00

Leicester forward Ahmed Musa returns to CSKA Moscow on loan

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354152

Ibrahim Nasrallah wins Arabic book prize for dystopian novel

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Jordanian-Palestinian writer Ibrahim Nasrallah has won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction with a novel about humanity's capacity for savagery. "The Second War of the Dog" was named winner at a ceremony Tuesday in the Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi. Set in a dystopian future society, the book centers on an opponent of the regime who descends into brutal nihilism. The author has called it "a warning of what we could become in the future." Ibrahim Al Saafin, who chaired the judging panel, said the book used "humor and insight" to expose society's tendency toward brutality. Nasrallah's book was chosen from among 124 entries from 14 countries for the award, which is affiliated with Britain's prestigious Man Booker Prize. He wins $50,000 and funding for an English translation of his novel.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 00:33:00

Ibrahim Nasrallah wins Arabic book prize for dystopian novel

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413372

German coalition talks appear to break impasse on migrants

BERLIN (AP) — The prospective partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel's next government appear to have broken an impasse over migrants' right to bring close relatives to Germany. Merkel's conservative Union bloc and the center-left Social Democrats hope to conclude coalition talks Sunday. The Social Democrats are seeking more palatable compromises on some issues already discussed in preliminary talks. Those include whether close relatives can join migrants with a status below full asylum. They can't now, but that rule expires in mid-March. News agency dpa reported the two sides agreed Tuesday that, from August, a maximum 1,000 relatives monthly should be let in, plus people who can be admitted under existing rules for hardship cases. That's largely in line with a preliminary agreement that was considered a success for conservatives. But Social Democrat lawmaker Eva Hoegl said her party had ensured that relatives can come.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 19:53:00

German coalition talks appear to break impasse on migrants

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354164

Gov't report: Health care deductibles higher under GOP bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump promised to make health care more affordable but a government report finds that out-of-pocket costs — deductibles and copayments — would average 61 percent higher under the House Republican bill. And even though the sticker price for premiums would be lower than under the Obama-era law, what consumers actually pay would edge up on average because government financial assistance would be curtailed. The report from the Office of the Actuary, a nonpartisan economic unit at the Health and Human Services Department, was released earlier this week with little fanfare. "It's fascinating," said Chris Sloan, a policy expert with the Avalere Health consulting firm. "They actually think that on average people will be paying more even though the underlying premium is less." The estimates are for the year 2026, and apply to people who buy their own health insurance policies. That group was a major focus of former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. Individually-purchased coverage is also key to the GOP's American Health Care Act, which would roll back much of "Obamacare." The report tracks with findings by the Congressional Budget Office, which said millions more would be uninsured under the Republican legislation, in particular due to Medicaid cuts affecting low-income people. But at first blush the impact appears to be less dramatic. The budget office estimate of 23 million more uninsured in 2026 compares with 13 million projected by the experts at HHS. However, Sloan said much of the contrast appears due to a fairly technical issue: the two groups of experts make different assumptions about the number of people covered as a result of Obama's law. The HHS report also finds that the Republican bill would shorten the life of the Medicare hospital trust fund by two years, partly because it repeals a tax on upper-income earners. In a statement, the Trump administration said the new HHS estimate doesn't take into account other changes proposed by the president, including relief from burdensome regulations and additional health care legislation. While Trump celebrated passage of the House bill with a Rose Garden ceremony, lately he's told senators it's too "mean," and he's urged lawmakers to spend more money on health care. Republican senators are trying to find a compromise that will let them advance their own version. The HHS experts projected forward nearly a decade, estimating that sticker-price premiums would average $801 a month in 2026 if the Obama law stays in place. Under the GOP bill, that gross monthly premium would drop to $695, or about 13 percent less. Yet financial assistance would also be reduced under House bill, which provides government tax credits based on age, not income. After taking that and other changes into account, net premiums would average $380 under the GOP bill, a little bit more than the $360 a month consumers would pay under current law. The GOP bill also would eliminate current subsidies that help reduce deductibles and copayments for people of modest incomes. And it would allow insurers to offer plans that cover fewer benefits, among other changes. Both those shifts lead to higher deductibles and copayments. When all that is factored in, the HHS estimate found that cost-sharing would average $380 a month, 61 percent more than the estimate of $236 under current law. In a Washington Post interview shortly before taking office, Trump promised "much lower deductibles." "You can see promise of the lower premiums holding up," said Sloan. "But there is nothing in this proposal that is going to lead to lower deductibles or lower cost-sharing. There is just nothing there." The HHS report cautioned that averages don't tell the whole story. The impacts would vary widely by age, income, and where a consumer lives. And the cost-sharing average includes people who use their insurance a lot, and people who don't go to the doctor. ___ HHS Office of the Actuary report: https://tinyurl.com/ycc9cmvt

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 00:00:00

Gov't report: Health care deductibles higher under GOP bill

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Trump administration acts to 'stabilize' health insurance

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a new health secretary in office, the Trump administration is proposing its first regulatory changes to the health insurance markets created by President Barack Obama's overhaul. Among the most noticeable change for consumers: a shorter sign-up window of 45 days, as opposed to three months. Administration officials said Wednesday the new regulations will help to stabilize the individual insurance market for next year. That could buy time for the Republican-led Congress to make good on its promise to repeal the Obama-era health care overhaul and replace it with a conservative approach. Many of the proposed changes reflect the wishes of the insurance industry. Even so, insurer Humana announced Tuesday it will not participate in next year in the government-run marketplaces. Human Services Secretary Tom Price was confirmed Friday.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 22:12:00

Trump administration acts to 'stabilize' health insurance

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Kentucky lawmaker accused of sexual assault

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky lawmaker who attracted national attention last year when he compared President Barack Obama and his wife to monkeys has been accused of sexual assault. The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting quotes Maranda Richmond as saying she has asked Louisville police to reopen an investigation of Dan Johnson. Johnson was elected to the state legislature in 2016 — after he posted the Facebook remarks about the Obamas. He didn't respond to a voicemail Monday. Richmond says Johnson assaulted her in 2012. She says she reported it to police in 2013, but the case was closed without charges. No one at the police department responded to a telephone call seeking comment. The Associated Press does not generally identify alleged sexual assault victims, but is doing so because Richmond has gone public.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 03:11:00

Kentucky lawmaker accused of sexual assault

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318183

Jury selection starts for men accused of Kansas bomb plot

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A trial begins this week for three members of a militia group accused of conspiring to bomb a mosque and apartment complex housing Somalis in the Kansas town of Garden City. Patrick Stein, Gavin Wright and Curtis Allen are charged with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy against civil rights. Stein also faces a weapons-related charge and Wright has an additional charge of lying to the FBI. The three men, who were indicted in October 2016, have pleaded not guilty. Their federal trial in Wichita is expected to last six weeks, with jury selection beginning Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren. The government said in court filings that a militia member tipped off federal authorities after becoming alarmed by the heightening talk of violence, and later agreed to wear a wire as a paid informant. The government's case features months of investigation captured on profanity-laced recordings that referred to the Somalis as "cockroaches." Earlier in the case, a judge denied a defense motion to expand the prospective jury pool to encompass more rural western Kansas counties where the defense believed residents would be more conservative. Defense attorneys argued the case is "uniquely political" because much of the anticipated evidence is in reaction to the 2016 presidential election. They contended the case will require jurors to weigh evidence regarding whether the alleged conduct constitutes the crimes charged, or whether it is constitutionally protected speech and assembly and implicates the right to bear arms.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 12:06:00

Jury selection starts for men accused of Kansas bomb plot

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386052

AP PHOTOS: Dozens get hitched on Valentine's Day in Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) — In keeping with tradition, dozens of couples have obtained marriage licenses in Las Vegas this Valentine's Day. The Clark County Marriage License Bureau reported issuing more than 110 marriage licenses by Tuesday afternoon. Its main office in downtown Las Vegas closes at midnight. A county spokesman, Dan Kulin, says the bureau issues about 120 licenses on a normal Tuesday. Nearly 380 couples obtained licenses last year's Valentine's Day, which fell on a Sunday. In an area where people can get married in venues that range from a shooting range to a Denny's restaurant, the bureau is one of the busiest in the nation. It issues more than 80,000 marriage licenses every year.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 09:47:00

AP PHOTOS: Dozens get hitched on Valentine's Day in Vegas

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Mattis' reassurance tour in Europe could include US requests

BRUSSELS (AP) — For Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. As much he'll tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO, he also is expected to visit Europe with a hand out, hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments and greater assistance in military campaigns in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Mattis also will field questions on national security adviser Michael Flynn's resignation over his pre-inauguration discussions with Russia, and what the change means for U.S. policy on Moscow. Speaking to reporters on the way to a NATO defense ministers' meeting, Mattis said Flynn's departure "has no effect at all" on him. "Frankly, this has no impact," he said. "I haven't changed what I'm heading there for. It doesn't change my message at all. Who is on the president's staff is who I will work with. And so, you know, it's full speed ahead." Mattis also reinforced earlier comments he's made on NATO's importance. Calling it "the most successful military alliance in history," he told reporters on the plane that "our commitment remains to NATO." But he said allies need to discuss increasing their military funding to the benchmark goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. After spending his first official trip telling America's Asian allies they wouldn't be abandoned, Mattis is on a similar journey in Brussels and Munich this week, where he will have to address the mixed messages from President Donald Trump on the value of NATO before and after he took office. "I think there will be a lot of reassuring words spoken over the next week," said Derek Chollet, a former senior defense official who is now senior adviser at the German Marshall Fund. Nations want Mattis to maintain the U.S. commitment to providing military support and troops to bolster Poland and the Baltics, who feel threatened by Russia, he said. While Mattis' words may provide some comfort, Chollet said: "It will leave the question: What does the president think? If anything, the sum total of all of this will just perpetuate the confusion." Wednesday marks Mattis' first NATO meeting as defense secretary. During his Senate confirmation hearing last month, the retired Marine general said he wanted the U.S. to "maintain the strongest possible relationship with NATO." With remarks such as those, Mattis has distanced himself from Trump's criticism of the military alliance and threats that the U.S. might not defend allies that don't fulfill their financial obligations as NATO members. Mattis, however, is aligned with Trump's call for the 27 NATO members to meet the defense spending requirement. Only a few are currently hitting the 2 percent mark, while the U.S. spends more on its armed forces than all the others combined. Washington also foots more than 22 percent of NATO's commonly funded budget. The U.S. also would like to see an increased NATO commitment in Afghanistan, where forces have been fighting the Taliban for more than 15 years, since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Washington wants more trainers in Afghanistan, where about 8,400 American troops are still deployed. There also will be discussions about how to accelerate the newer, U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Europe's leaders will first be looking for clarity from Mattis. They're still rattled by Trump's declarations that NATO is "obsolete" and his repeated praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Such comments have triggered fears Trump will ease sanctions imposed on Moscow after it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and supported an insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Another concern: lessened U.S. military support for eastern European allies near Russia's border who worry about being the next target. During his confirmation hearing, Mattis told senators that he has discussed NATO with the president and that Trump was "open" to changing his position. Among Mattis' first calls after Trump's inauguration was one to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. In recent weeks, Trump's public statements on NATO have softened somewhat. After meeting Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters that he assured her he was "100 percent" behind NATO. A joint statement issued after Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone said the two agreed on the "fundamental importance that the NATO alliance has for trans-Atlantic relations" and the need for all members to pay their fair share. Trump made similar comments in a call with French President Francois Hollande. Only four countries other than the U.S. — Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland — are meeting NATO's spending target. Many are increasing their budgets in response to Russia's actions.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 11:01:00

Mattis' reassurance tour in Europe could include US requests

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Federer and Williams back on Centre Court at Wimbledon

LONDON (AP) — Roger Federer and Serena Williams are both back on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Wednesday as they look to advance to the third round. Federer will play Lukas Lacko of Slovakia as he continues his quest for a record-extending ninth title at the All England Club. Williams then faces Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova as she goes for a 16th straight match win at the tournament — having missed last year while pregnant. Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki and last year's men's runner-up, Marin Cilic, are also back in action as they try to avoid more upsets at the tournament. Three of the top-10 seeded men lost in the first round, while former champions Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova also went out on Tuesday. The forecast calls for more sunny skies, although there is a 30 percent chance of rain showers in the afternoon. ___ More AP tennis coverage: https://www.apnews.com/tag/apf-Tennis

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2018-07-04 00:00:00

Federer and Williams back on Centre Court at Wimbledon

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474097

Randolph's double-double leads Kings past Pelicans, 114-103

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zach Randolph scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings beat the New Orleans Pelicans 114-103 on Tuesday night. Kosta Koufos had 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Kings, who were able to exploit the absence of Pelicans All-Star and former King DeMarcus Cousins by getting double-doubles from both of their starting big men. Rookie De'Aaron Fox and reserve guard Garrett Temple, a former LSU player, each scored 15 for the Kings, who've won three of their last four games. Anthony Davis had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Pelicans, while Jrue Holiday scored 21 points and Ian Clark a season-high 20, hitting nine of 10 shots. But New Orleans has lost both of its games without Cousins, who went out for the season with a ruptured left Achilles at the end of a victory over Houston last Friday night. The Pelicans trailed by five points after Davis' free throws with 4:13 to go, but Sacramento reserve George Hill, who had 14 points, responded with a 3 with 3:24 left. Koufos then converted inside to make it a 10-point game with 2:44 left and New Orleans never got closer than six after that. TIP INS Kings: Randolph shot 11 of 23 overall and 3 of 6 from 3-point range. ... Reserve G Buddy Hield, drafted sixth overall by New Orleans in 2016 and sent to Sacramento as part of the trade that brought Cousins to the Pelicans, scored eight points on 4-of-9 shooting, but missed all four of his 3-point attempts. ... The Kings improved to 9-20 on the road, with two of those victories coming in New Orleans. Pelicans: Struggled from 3-point range for a second straight game, going 9 of 25 (36 percent) against the Kings, including 3 of 15 in the second half. ... Reserve F Cheik Diallo played for the first time since Jan. 10. He was in the game for more than six minutes and had two points and a rebounds ... G Tony Allen was deemed available to play after missing 22 games with a fractured left fibula but did not play. ... F Dante Cunningham, who has started forward in both games since Cousins' season-ending injury, left the game late in the first half with back spasms. ... C Omer Asik played a season-high 24 minutes. He had four rebounds, a block, a steal and a single point on 1-fo-4 free throw shooting. He did not attempt a field goal and committed five fouls and one turnover. UP NEXT Kings: Host Golden State on Friday night. Pelicans: Visit Oklahoma City on Friday night. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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2018-01-31 11:44:00

Randolph's double-double leads Kings past Pelicans, 114-103

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354629

Earnings reports lift stocks; 10-year yield hits 3 percent

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are higher Tuesday morning as investors applaud strong first-quarter results from companies including machinery maker Caterpillar, appliance maker Whirlpool and Fifth Third Bancorp. Smaller companies made big gains in an optimistic sign for the U.S. economy. Bond yields continue to rise and the 10-year Treasury note reached 3 percent for the first time in more than four years. Alphabet, Google's parent company, slid after it reported greater revenue but also an increase in spending. KEEPING SCORE: The S&P 500 index gained 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,675 as of 9:55 a.m. Eastern time. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 43 points, or 0.2 percent, to 24,492. The Nasdaq composite added 13 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,141. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks rose 8 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,570. MACHINE POWER: Caterpillar said the strong global economy helped its sales of construction and energy industry machinery and it raised its forecasts for the year. It also said prices rose and its stock jumped 3.3 percent to $159. Appliance maker Whirlpool also surpassed expectations and rose 5 percent to $157.80. Aircraft maker United Technologies rallied 1.5 percent to $125.29 after its report and competitor Boeing gained 1.7 percent to $344.59. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies picked up 2.4 percent to $90.15. MISPRINT: Alphabet slid 2.6 percent to $1,045.78 after the company said ad revenue climbed, but expenses also rose. Google's parent company benefited from strong digital ad sales as well as an accounting change. Drugmaker Biogen reported weaker sales than analysts expected and its stock gave up 2.3 percent to $253.34 while scientific equipment maker Waters said sales to industrial customers decreased. The stock plunged 7.9 percent to $193. BONDS: Bond prices kept slipping. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3 percent before it slipped to 2.99 percent. It finished at 2.98 percent on Monday. The yield on the 10-year note is a benchmark for many kinds of interest rates including mortgages, and it's been climbing because investors expect greater economic growth and faster inflation. It hadn't reached 3 percent since early January of 2014. Since the global financial crisis in 2008-09, a combination of low inflation expectations and a bond-buying program by the Federal Reserve have helped keep bond yields low, but they have climbed this year as inflation has picked up and the Fed raised interest rates. With the Fed no longer buying bonds and investors expecting greater inflation, analysts say higher yields could make bonds more attractive. CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 109.13 yen from 108.65 yen. The euro rose to $1.2230 from $1.2205. ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil gained 19 cents to $68.83 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 7 cents to $74.78 per barrel in London. OVERSEAS: Germany's DAX lost 0.3 percent while the French CAC 40 dipped 0.2 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.2 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.9 percent, helped by the weaker yen. The Kospi in South Korea lost 0.4 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.4 percent. ____ AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/marley%20jay

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 00:00:00

Earnings reports lift stocks; 10-year yield hits 3 percent

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413297

Fed leaves key rate unchanged at Yellen's final meeting

The Federal Reserve has left its benchmark interest rate unchanged but signaled that it expects to resume raising rates gradually to reflect a healthy job market and economy. At Janet Yellen's final meeting as chair Wednesday, the Fed kept its key short-term rate in a still-low range of 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent. It said in a statement that it expects inflation to finally pick up this year and to stabilize around the Fed's target level of 2 percent. In its previous statement, the Fed had predicted that inflation would remain below its target rate. The Fed also indicated that it thinks the job market and the overall economy are continuing to improve. "Gains in employment, household spending and business fixed investment have been solid," its statement said. Yellen has led a cautious approach to rate increases in her four years as chair, and Jerome Powell, who will succeed her next week, has indicated he favors a similar approach. The Fed raised its key rate three times in 2017, and most economists expect the Powell-led Fed to do so at least three additional times this year beginning in March. Powell has been a Yellen ally and among the Fed's consensus-builders in 5½ years on the central bank's board. The unemployment rate is at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent, and the economy expanded at a solid 2.6 percent annual rate in the October-December quarter, helping lift growth for all of 2017 to a decent 2.3 percent. Synchronized growth in major regions across the world has helped energize the U.S. economy. And the sweeping tax overhaul that Trump pushed through Congress last month is expected to further support U.S. growth. The Fed's next scheduled policy meeting in March, when most economists foresee the next rate hike, will be the first time that Powell is scheduled to hold one of the Fed leader's quarterly news conferences. In its statement Wednesday, the Fed said Powell would be sworn in on Monday. Last week, the Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's nomination of Powell to be Fed chairman. Economists are roughly divided on whether they think Fed's policymakers will raise rates three times this year, as in 2017, or four times. The pivotal factor will likely be how inflation performs. For the past six years, inflation has been a no-show, running below even the Fed's target level of 2 percent. A tight job market, with pressure building for pay increases, and potentially higher consumer and business spending resulting from the Republican tax cuts, could accelerate inflation this year. The prospect of faster inflation could, in turn, lead the Fed to step up its rate hikes. The Fed has modestly raised its benchmark rate five times since December 2015, when it began tightening for the first time since the height of the financial crisis in 2008. When the crisis erupted, the Fed cut its rate to a record low near zero to help rescue the financial system and the economy and then held it there for seven years. This year, the lineup of Fed regional bank presidents who vote on the central bank's rate policy — a list that rotates annually — is expected to be somewhat more "hawkish" this year. Fed hawks are those who are less likely to favor low rates to maximize employment and more likely to back rate hikes to prevent future high inflation. Powell, a lawyer and investment manager by training, will be the first Fed leader in 30 years not to hold a Ph.D. in economics. Trump chose Powell for the post rather than offer Yellen a second term despite widespread praise for her performance as chair. With Yellen's departure, the seven-member Fed board will have four vacancies. Marvin Goodfriend, a conservative economist, has been nominated by Trump for one of the vacant board seats. Trump has yet to make nominations for the others.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 03:17:00

Fed leaves key rate unchanged at Yellen's final meeting

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354924

10 Things to Know for Thursday

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday: 1. HIGH-STAKES DIPLOMACY PLAYING OUT A senior North Korean official arrives in New York in the highest-level official visit to the United States in 18 years, as President Trump and Kim Jong Un try to salvage their on-again, off-again nuclear summit. 2. 'I'M STILL ALIVE' Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko walks into a news conference a day after police said he had been assassinated. Authorities say his death was staged to foil a plot on his life by Moscow's security services. 3. GRAND JURY INDICTS HARVEY WEINSTEIN The indictment on rape and criminal sex act charges furthers the first criminal case to arise from a slate of sexual misconduct allegations against the former movie mogul. 4. WHICH CONSPIRACY THEORY IS BEING DEBUNKED There's no evidence that the FBI planted a "spy" on Trump's 2016 campaign, a senior House Republican says, despite the president's repeated assertions. 5. IN MIDEAST, AN UNEASY TRUCE With a cease-fire declared, Israel and Hamas appear to have avoided — for now — a fourth war after a day of intense rocket fire and airstrikes. 6. WHY DRUG COMPANY ISN'T TAKING BLAME The maker of Ambien says that "racism is not a known side effect" after Roseanne Barr cited the insomnia drug in explaining the tweet that led ABC to cancel her show. 7. WALMART WORKERS GET COLLEGE ON THE CHEAP America's largest private employer is offering its employees a new perk: affordable access to a college degree. 8. WHAT'S FUELING TRADE TENSIONS Europe braces for the U.S. to announce restrictions on imported steel and aluminum, a move that could provoke retaliatory tariffs. 9. BELTWAY ABUZZ OVER MELANIA'S WHEREABOUTS The first lady tries to tamp down speculation about why she's not been seen in public in nearly three weeks, tweeting that she's "feeling great." 10. WHOSE CAUSE REALITY TV STAR IS CHAMPIONING Kim Kardashian West visits the White House to advocate on behalf of a woman serving a life sentence for drug offenses.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 00:00:00

10 Things to Know for Thursday

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444607

France's Sanofi buys biotech company Ablynx for $4.8 billion

PARIS (AP) — French drugmaker Sanofi has made another big purchase aimed at strengthening its position in rare disease treatments, buying Belgian biotech company Ablynx for 3.9 billion euros ($4.8 billion). Sanofi announced Monday that the deal was approved by the boards of both companies. Sanofi is paying 45 euros per share. Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk had also sought to buy Ablynx but the Belgian company said Novo Nordisk's offers were too low. Ablynx is notably developing nanobodies, small antibodies that it hopes can be used to treat blood disorders, inflammation and respiratory diseases. Sanofi says the purchase will boost its rare blood disorder portfolio, after announcing earlier this month that it's buying U.S. hemophilia specialist Bioverativ for $11.6 billion. The pharmaceutical industry is seeing increasing interest in rare diseases.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-29 23:59:00

France's Sanofi buys biotech company Ablynx for $4.8 billion

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353878

US says WTO losing focus on trade, becoming litigation group

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The United States is accusing the World Trade Organization of losing its focus on trade. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Monday that the WTO is "losing its essential focus on negotiation and becoming a litigation-centered organization." Lighthizer also said some members try to gain concessions through lawsuits that he said they could never get at the negotiating table. He spoke Monday at the WTO's ministerial meeting that is being held in Argentina. President Donald Trump says the policy of the U.S. "is to aggressively promote and use American-made goods." Some member nations that favor free trade have decried what they say are Trump's protectionist measures. But many also acknowledge the WTO needs reform.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 00:00:00

US says WTO losing focus on trade, becoming litigation group

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318220

Cannabis capitalists exploit loopholes by 'gifting' the drug

BOSTON (AP) — The single bottle of juice delivered to your door will set you back at least $55. But the bag of marijuana that comes with it? On the house. Retail marijuana stores are months away from opening in Massachusetts, but some companies have been quietly operating for more than a year, selling and delivering marijuana via a legal loophole. Companies like HighSpeed, which describes itself as a juice delivery service, are exploiting so-called "gifting" provisions that are on the books in Massachusetts and most other states where marijuana has been legalized. They generally allow the exchange of small amounts of the drug so long as it's given away — "gifted" — from one adult to another. In other words, passing a joint at a party or dropping a bud in your brother's Christmas stocking won't result in fines or jail time. But some entrepreneurs see the provisions as an opportunity to get ahead of the regulated market, planting an early stake in what could become a crowded and lucrative industry. Gifting also allows cannabis capitalists to undercut licensed shops because they don't face the same oversight or pay marijuana sales taxes. And underground sellers could complicate things in places like Vermont, Maine and Washington, D.C., which have legalized pot but have no firm plans to open regulated retailers. "Under any fair reading of the law, these businesses are illegal," said Roger Katz, a Republican state senator in Maine who is studying the issue. "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it is a duck." At least four enterprises have done gifting business in Massachusetts since marijuana was legalized in December 2016, two of them in the Boston area, The Associated Press found in an investigation that included records gathered from law enforcement agencies around the state. In addition to HighSpeed, a Boston-area company cleverly called Duuber has drivers delivering marijuana-themed T-shirts that come with gifts of pot. Officials in western Massachusetts also looked into a Craigslist ad offering plastic sandwich bags costing up to $325 apiece (the marijuana in them was free) but dropped the case after they couldn't identify the seller. In Springfield, officials ordered a smoke shop called Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing to shut down last March after it gave marijuana to customers who paid a $25 to $50 admission fee. That hasn't scared HighSpeed, which also operates in D.C. "We've had no issues with law enforcement, and we're going to do our best to keep it that way," said founder David Umeh. "We're not doing anything wrong. We're abiding by the current legislation until it changes." Gifting provisions are on the books in Massachusetts and all but one of the other states that have legalized marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state, plus D.C. Most instituted the measure specifically as part of new marijuana laws. Vermont does not have a provision, but local experts and activists argue the exchanges will be permitted there, too, since they're not expressly banned. Some states have tried to stem abuse of the laws by prohibiting businesses from advertising marijuana giveaways or specifically banning "delayed or disguised" payments for marijuana gifts, said Leo Beletsky, a law professor at Northeastern University in Boston. But businesses simply find ways to obscure what they're doing, he said, and then rely largely on word of mouth to make sales. Clued-in customers can infer how much pot they're ordering judging by the price and size of the items accompanying it, but for the most part, they're at the mercy of the seller. In the case of HighSpeed, there is no mention of marijuana on its website. The company sells drinks priced from $55 to $150, depending on whether the beverage comes with "Love" or "Lots of Love." The AP recently put in a $60 order for "Raspberry Roxbury" with "Love" and received a bottle of Tazo juice along with about an eighth of an ounce of marijuana. Duuber also doesn't explicitly spell out its marijuana "gift" on its website. But when the AP ordered a $100 product listed as "Luxury Tshirt - Citrus - small," the brown paper bag delivered by a driver contained a white T-shirt with the company's name in black over an image of a marijuana leaf — and a clear plastic bag of marijuana labeled "1/4 Ruthless OG." The opening of retail shops in states with marijuana laws should eventually make most gifting operations obsolete, said Morgan Fox, spokesman for the D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project. "People want quality control-tested products," he said. "The sooner that happens, the sooner this sort of thing disappears." But in Colorado, where pot shops opened in 2014, gifting businesses are still hatching creative ways to skirt the law, said Detective Kerry Linfoot of the Colorado Springs Police Department. The department shut down 14 gifting businesses last year. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision to rescind an Obama-era policy that called for non-interference with legal state marijuana operations could also help bolster gifting and other underground operations, Beletsky said. "If the feds somehow came down on state regulators or licensed retail operations," he said, "that could provide a convenient opening for these gray-market operators to scale up what they're already doing." ___ Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo. His work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/philip_marcelo.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Cannabis capitalists exploit loopholes by 'gifting' the drug

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355174

Russia warns of locusts destroying World Cup fields

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian government says a plague of locusts could "disgrace" the country by destroying World Cup fields. Locusts often feast on crops in southern Russia and Pyotr Chekmaryov, who oversees plant protection at the agriculture ministry, says they could descend on stadiums, too. In comments reported by state news agencies, Chekmaryov says "we've more or less learned how to deal with locusts, but this year I'm afraid we could end up in an international locust scandal." He adds that "locusts like places where there is a lot of green," and says that it is important "not to disgrace ourselves in front of global society, especially where we will have guests from all over the world." Chekmaryov pointed out the Volgograd region as a particular concern.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 19:55:00

Russia warns of locusts destroying World Cup fields

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354779

McGahan to leave Melbourne Rebels after Super Rugby season

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tony McGahan won't wait around to see if the Melbourne Rebels survive to play Super Rugby next year: the head coach and the club announced a mutual parting of the ways on Thursday. The Australian Rugby Union must decide which of the five Australian franchises is cut by the league for the 2018 Super Rugby season. The Rebels and Western Force have been most often mentioned as one of the teams to be cut. A statement on behalf of the Rebels and McGahan said both parties arrived at the decision in the best interests of the Rebels "in order for the club to develop the long-term direction of the rugby program." Melbourne has just one win and a draw in 13 matches and is a distant last in a mediocre Australian conference. The Rebels meet the Western Force in Perth on July 7 and McGahan will coach his last game in Melbourne against Argentina's Jaguares on July 14.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 12:39:00

McGahan to leave Melbourne Rebels after Super Rugby season

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Russia's Putin stops at Russian military base in Syria

MOSCOW (AP) — The Tass news agency says that Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived at a Russian military air base in Syria. Tass said that Putin's plane landed at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia, the heartland of Syrian President Bashar Assad's Alawite minority. The visit marks Putin's first trip to Syria and comes as Assad's forces have retaken control over most of Syria under the Russian air cover. The air base has served as the main foothold for the air campaign Russia has waged since September 2015 in support of Assad.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 18:05:00

Russia's Putin stops at Russian military base in Syria

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317916

UN and AU recommend big cuts to Darfur peacekeeping force

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations and the African Union are recommending a 44 percent cut in the number of peacekeeping troops in their joint force in Sudan's vast and troubled Darfur region and a 30 percent reduction in the international police force. Assistant Secretary-General El-Ghassim Wane presented the proposals to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday following a review of the 17,000-strong U.N.-AU force. He said a decade has passed since the council decided to deploy the force, and the review found that over the past three years the conflict that led to the peacekeeping mission "has markedly changed." Wane said a successful military campaign by the government has reduced the rebellion to "a small presence" of Sudan Liberation Army forces loyal to founder Abdul Wahid Elnur in western Jebel Marra.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 01:34:00

UN and AU recommend big cuts to Darfur peacekeeping force

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Infrastructure exec named to head New Jersey Transit

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has named a new director for the embattled transit agency that he recently termed "a national disgrace." Kevin Corbett awaits approval by the New Jersey Transit board. Corbett is an executive with AECOM, an international infrastructure consulting firm. Previously, Corbett oversaw the economic redevelopment of Lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He also has served on the board of the Regional Plan Association, a transportation think tank. Corbett said Tuesday he welcomes the challenge and said an immediate step that could improve performance would be to improve accountability when trains suffer equipment problems. Murphy, a Democrat, recently ordered a top-to-bottom audit of NJ Transit, an agency that has been plagued by frequent delays, safety issues and management defections.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 00:58:00

Infrastructure exec named to head New Jersey Transit

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354344

Sweet science: Putting corn syrup to work on Earth's origins

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (AP) — How has the Earth evolved, and what's in store for the future? It's a sticky question that has graduate student Loes van Dam covered in corn syrup by the end of a day in the lab. She thought using a computer model would be limiting. So she designed and built a large tank, filled it with 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of corn syrup, and added six counter-rotating belts to study how tectonic plates drift and shift. The corn syrup represents the Earth's mantle, which melts to form magma at volcanoes and ridges. The belts are the drifting and shifting tectonic plates. Their intersection is the ocean ridge. Syrup in the tank, which measures 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide, 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and 1½ feet (0.3 meters) tall, slowly moves as the belts pull apart. Cameras record the flow in what van Dam has named the "ridge zone replicator." One minute of each experiment equals more than a million years in time, to show how tectonic plates move mantle material. "It's really cool that with our little experiments, we get clues about how this process has been going on in the past and why those plates are positioned the way they are now," said van Dam, who studies geological oceanography at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography in Narragansett. How plates drift is not thoroughly understood, and computer simulations have difficulty capturing it. Her experiments aim to show how plate tectonics created the sea floor over billions of years, and how those forces are at work today. "We can understand the flow at all points in the syrup. We're not limited to measuring at a few points, like in a numerical simulation," she said. Her experiments are showing that the lava that erupts from volcanoes to form new sea floor may originate at a shallower depth in the Earth than geologists currently think. The model shows more horizontal flow of mantle material than previous models have shown. That may tell researchers more about the chemical makeup of the Earth's interior, said URI Professor Chris Kincaid, an expert in geophysical oceanography. To his knowledge, he said, it's the first 3-D model of a mid-ocean ridge system that can migrate in any direction. "She's trying to put together a clearer picture of the evolution of the Earth," he said. "If you're trying to understand how the Earth is changing in the future, you need to know that." Van Dam, 23 and born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, moved to Novato, California, when she was young. She always picked up rocks that fascinated her and got her first introduction to plate tectonics in a third-grade earth science class. The research is funded with a grant from the National Science Foundation.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 12:12:00

Sweet science: Putting corn syrup to work on Earth's origins

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386046

#MeToo, immigrants will have strong presence in SOTU address

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address Tuesday night, but he won't be the only one trying to send a message. Here's a look at some of the ways lawmakers are using the speech to make a point: ___ #METOO Many female Democratic lawmakers plan to follow the lead of celebrities at this year's Golden Globe Awards by wearing black to the State of the Union. Allegations of sexual harassment have had a big impact on Capitol Hill in recent months, forcing resignations and retirements on both sides of the political aisle as well as ongoing Ethics Committee investigations. "Wearing black to #SOTU isn't about Trump," tweeted Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla. "It's about showing solidarity with a movement- from hotels to farm fields, to Congress, we're standing with workers to end sexual harassment in all workplaces." Some lawmakers are also bringing attention to the issue through the guest they have invited to the State of the Union. Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., has invited Chessy Prout, a victim of sexual assault while she attended high school. "The conversation about sexual harassment and assault in our nation is long overdue, but through the efforts of Chessy and the #MeToo movement, it is finally gaining steam," Kuster said. ___ FACES OF IMMIGRATION Dozens of young immigrants will be sitting in the House gallery overlooking the president as he speaks. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and other Democratic lawmakers invited them to put a face on an immigration debate that is dominating Congress's attention. The guests are among the nearly 700,000 people who received protection from deportation under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump canceled the program last year but gave Congress until March to come up with a legislative fix. The "Dreamers" in the gallery include aspiring nurse Karen Bahena of San Diego and Virginia high school student Nicolle Uria, who was brought into the United States as a 1-year-old. Bahena is the guest of Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif. Uria is the guest of Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. "This country is all she has ever known and through her volunteer work she has made our community better," Connolly said. Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., is also making a statement on immigration. His guest, Tommy Fisher, is president of a company that was given a contract to develop a prototype wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. "As Congress develops comprehensive immigrant enforcement legislation, I am proud to know a North Dakota company is a finalist to construct the border wall between our nation and Mexico," Cramer said. ___ EMPTY SEATS At least eight Democratic lawmakers have announced they are boycotting the president's address: Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, John Lewis of Georgia, Frederica Wilson of Florida, Gregory Meeks of New York, Maxine Waters of California and Bobby Rush and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. "Rather than listening to yet another destructive and divisive speech by Trump, I will not attend this year's annual address to Congress," said Blumenauer, who also skipped the Trump inauguration. ___ THE SCIENCE GUY Bill Nye the Science Guy is also on the guest list. The harsh critic of Trump's environmental policies is the guest of Republican Rep. Jim Bridenstine, Trump's nominee to serve as the next administrator of NASA. Nye said he has enjoyed a productive working relationship with Bridenstine on space issues. Democratic lawmakers have been highly critical of Bridenstine, saying that placing a politician at the head of the agency, instead of someone steeped in the sciences, would be a mistake. A Senate committee approved Bridenstine's nomination on a party-line vote, but the full Senate hasn't yet taken it up. "I hope to hear the president present plans for an ambitious, science-driven space exploration agenda," Nye said. ___ REBUTTAL Rep. Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts will deliver the Democratic response to the president's address. He is the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, the former senator and U.S. attorney general, and the son of former Rep. Joseph Kennedy II, who served in the House from 1987 to 1999. Democratic leaders are pitching Kennedy as someone who can champion Democratic policies to the middle class.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-25 00:00:00

#MeToo, immigrants will have strong presence in SOTU address

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353966

Poultry in motion: Bill targets owners of trespassing fowl

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Why did the chicken cross the road? In New Hampshire, the answer may soon cost its owners. The Legislature is considering a bill that would make trespassing fowl a violation, not for the chicken, but for its owners. Under the proposal, anyone who knowingly, recklessly or negligently allows their domestic fowl to enter someone else's property without permission can be convicted of a violation if the birds damage crops or property. The law already makes such trespassing illegal when it comes to sheep, goats, cows, horses or pigs. Republican Rep. Michael Moffett, of Loudon, told a House committee Tuesday that a constituent's frustration with a neighbor's ducks led to the legislation. Committee members raised numerous questions, including whether the proposal would apply to someone whose pond attracts wild ducks.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 01:01:00

Poultry in motion: Bill targets owners of trespassing fowl

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354343

Stronger economy lifts bond yields; stocks hold at records

NEW YORK (AP) — Bond yields climbed again on Wednesday and U.S. stocks held close to their record highs after more reports showed the economy continues to strengthen. The encouraging data could push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates sooner rather than later in its gradual move away from record low rates during the Great Recession. KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index was close to flat at 2,338 as of 9:57 a.m. Eastern time. The index closed at a record high Tuesday after rising for the sixth straight day. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 37 points, or 0.2 percent, to 20,541. The Nasdaq composite rose 8, or 0.1 percent, to 5,790. ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC GAINS: Wednesday's economic reports give the Federal Reserve more leeway to raise interest rates. Retailers had stronger sales in January than economists expected, and inflation at the consumer level was the highest in years. Consumer prices rose 2.5 percent in January from a year earlier, the highest rate since March 2012. Fed Chair Janet Yellen said in testimony before a Senate committee on Tuesday that the strengthening job market and a modest move higher in inflation should warrant continued, gradual increases in interest rates. The central bank raised rates in December for just the second time in a decade, after keeping rates at nearly zero to help lift the economy out of the Great Recession. Yellen speaks before a House committee Wednesday. BOND YIELDS: Treasury yields jumped immediately after the release of the retail sales and inflation reports. The 10-year yield rose to 2.50 percent from 2.47 percent late Tuesday. The two-year yield inched up to 1.25 percent from 1.24 percent, and the 30-year yield rose to 3.09 percent from 3.06 percent. DAMPENED DIVIDEND DEMAND: When bonds are paying more in interest, it can mean less demand from income investors for stocks that pay big dividends. Utility stocks, which are some of the biggest dividend payers, fell 1.2 percent, the largest loss among the 11 sectors that make up the S&P 500. Real-estate investment trusts and telecom stocks are also go-to buys for dividend seekers, and they were weak as well. GLOBAL MARKETS: In Europe, the German DAX index lost 0.2 percent, while the French CAC 40 and U.K. FTSE 100 each added 0.4 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.2 percent and the Kospi in South Korea gained 0.4 percent. CURRENCIES: The strong U.S. economic reports helped lift the value of the dollar against many of its rivals. The dollar ticked up to 114.64 Japanese yen from 114.22 late Tuesday. The euro fell to $1.0557 from $1.0572, and the British pound dipped to $1.2411 from $1.2465. COMMODITIES: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 2 cents to $53.22 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 11 cents to $55.85 in London. Natural gas rose 5 cents to $2.96 per 1,000 cubic feet. Gold slipped 30 cents to $1,225.10 per ounce, silver was close to flat at $17.89 per ounce and copper was flat at $2.74 per pound.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 23:03:00

Stronger economy lifts bond yields; stocks hold at records

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095840

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Turkey issues decree adjusting laws to presidential system

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has issued a decree to adjust its current laws to a new presidential system that comes into effect with last month's presidential and parliamentary elections. The decree issued Wednesday changes the wording in some 5,000 laws, removing references to the prime minister — whose office has been abolished — and transferring some powers to the president. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the presidential election on June 24 with 52.6 percent of the vote, according to results which have yet to be confirmed by Turkey's electoral council. Erdogan will now rule with substantially expanded powers in line with constitutional changes that were narrowly approved in a referendum last year. He is expected to be sworn in over the weekend.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-01 20:00:00

Turkey issues decree adjusting laws to presidential system

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3473952

Cubs draft son of woman killed in 2015 church shooting

NEW YORK (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have drafted Chris Singleton, whose mother was among those killed two years ago during the shooting inside a South Carolina church. Singleton was selected Wednesday by the defending World Series champions with the final pick of the 19th round, No. 585 overall. He is a right-handed-hitting center fielder at Charleston Southern University. The outfielder's mother, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, was one of nine people killed by Dylann Roof on June 17, 2015, during a Wednesday night Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, one of the South's first African-American churches. Coleman-Singleton, who was 45, was a track coach at Goose Creek High School. In a news release detailing the amateur draft, Major League Baseball says Chris Singleton was honored by the New York Yankees during the team's annual HOPE Week in 2015, "following his courageous response to the tragic shooting inside a Charleston, South Carolina church that claimed the life of his mother."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 15:26:00

Cubs draft son of woman killed in 2015 church shooting

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188522

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

Pakistani military: Roadside bombing kills 2 soldiers

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan's military says a roadside bombing has killed at least two soldiers and wounded three in the country's northwestern tribal region that borders Afghanistan. A military statement says that Wednesday's bombing took place in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan. It says the bomb exploded as a vehicle ferrying soldiers drove near it. The casualties were transported to a military hospital in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The tribal region was a sanctuary for militants until several massive military operations claimed to have pushed them out of the safe havens. The army claims to have cleared the area but militants in North Waziristan sporadically strike back, targeting security forces.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-30 23:12:00

Pakistani military: Roadside bombing kills 2 soldiers

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444392

Expanded Conference Glance

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 72 49 19 4 102 260 202 26-8-2 23-11-2 15-7-2 Boston 70 45 17 8 98 235 179 25-7-4 20-10-4 15-5-2 Toronto 72 43 22 7 93 243 204 25-8-2 18-14-5 13-6-3 Washington 72 41 24 7 89 225 214 25-9-2 16-15-5 13-7-3 Pittsburgh 72 41 26 5 87 237 218 26-8-1 15-18-4 15-6-1 Philadelphia 73 37 25 11 85 218 215 18-13-6 19-12-5 11-7-5 Columbus 72 39 28 5 83 200 199 24-11-2 15-17-3 13-10-3 New Jersey 72 37 27 8 82 217 215 18-14-3 19-13-5 12-9-1 Florida 69 35 27 7 77 210 216 22-11-3 13-16-4 12-6-2 Carolina 72 31 30 11 73 194 225 16-14-6 15-16-5 9-10-5 N.Y. Rangers 72 32 32 8 72 208 231 20-13-4 12-19-4 9-8-3 N.Y. Islanders 72 30 32 10 70 231 262 16-14-4 14-18-6 10-12-2 Montreal 72 26 34 12 64 182 230 17-11-8 9-23-4 10-8-5 Ottawa 71 26 34 11 63 197 244 15-14-6 11-20-5 8-11-4 Detroit 72 26 35 11 63 184 224 13-14-8 13-21-3 6-13-4 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 172 236 11-21-5 12-16-7 10-8-3 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 236 178 25-7-4 23-7-6 17-4-2 Vegas 72 46 21 5 97 244 199 25-9-2 21-12-3 17-3-2 Winnipeg 72 43 19 10 96 240 189 26-7-2 17-12-8 13-8-2 Minnesota 72 41 24 7 89 224 206 24-6-6 17-18-1 11-11-0 San Jose 72 40 23 9 89 219 199 21-11-3 19-12-6 19-4-3 Colorado 72 39 25 8 86 231 209 25-9-2 14-16-6 10-10-3 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 206 197 22-10-5 15-14-7 11-6-7 Los Angeles 72 39 27 6 84 207 181 19-14-3 20-13-3 11-10-4 Dallas 73 38 27 8 84 209 197 24-10-3 14-17-5 11-13-0 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 201 193 21-15-0 18-13-5 10-10-3 Calgary 73 35 28 10 80 202 217 15-17-4 20-11-6 10-9-3 Chicago 73 30 34 9 69 208 223 17-15-4 13-19-5 7-10-3 Edmonton 72 31 36 5 67 201 231 16-17-3 15-19-2 13-9-1 Vancouver 72 25 38 9 59 186 236 12-18-6 13-20-3 6-16-1 Arizona 71 23 37 11 57 170 228 14-20-4 9-17-7 7-10-6 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Colorado 5, Detroit 1 Vegas 4, Calgary 0 Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 1 Carolina 4, N.Y. Islanders 3 Philadelphia 6, Washington 3 Winnipeg 4, Dallas 2 St. Louis 5, Chicago 4, OT Anaheim 4, New Jersey 2 Monday's Games Nashville 4, Buffalo 0 Columbus at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Calgary at Arizona, 10 p.m. Tuesday's Games Columbus at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Edmonton at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Vancouver at Vegas, 10 p.m. New Jersey at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Wednesday's Games Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Boston at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Anaheim at Calgary, 9:30 p.m. Thursday's Games N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Arizona at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Columbus, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Washington at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Edmonton at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Nashville, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m. Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 09:35:00

Expanded Conference Glance

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385908

MPAA head says theaters will survive rise of streaming sites

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The new chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America says he is optimistic about the movie and theatrical exhibition business. Rivkin and John Fithian, the president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners delivered a state of the industry speech Tuesday morning at the annual CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas addressing concerns like waning audiences and increased competition from streaming. Both stressed that there are ups and downs every year and that theaters will continue to survive. CinemaCon is an annual gathering of theater owners and exhibitors, during which they get a look upcoming films from major Hollywood studios and a preview of some of the latest and greatest in theatrical technologies and even concession options.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 01:36:00

MPAA head says theaters will survive rise of streaming sites

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413393

The Latest: White House says no talk of firing Mueller

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation (all times local): 2:25 p.m. The White House is continuing to deny that President Donald Trump is looking to oust special counsel Robert Mueller. Spokesman Hogan Gidley tells reporters aboard Air Force One that, "there are no conversations or discussions about removing" Mueller. And he says Trump's recent tweets criticizing Mueller's team are part of his "well-established frustration for more than a year this has been going on." Trump this weekend lashed out at Mueller on Twitter for the first time by name. Some congressional Republicans feared that was a signal Trump might be considering firing Mueller. On Monday Trump called the probe "a total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!" Gidley says Trump "believes this is the biggest witch hunt in history." Trump cannot directly fire Mueller. Any dismissal would have to be carried out by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein. __ 1:24 a.m. The White House says President Donald Trump isn't thinking or talking about firing special counsel Robert Mueller. That's the word from White House lawyer Ty Cobb in a statement late Sunday after a series of Trump tweets revived chatter that the frustrated president may be preparing to have Mueller fired. Mueller is investigating whether Trump's actions, including last year's ouster of FBI Director James Comey, amount to obstruction of justice. Trump believes the probe is biased against him, a point he made clear in weekend tweets that jabbed Mueller directly. Cobb says: "In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the Administration, the White House yet again confirms that the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-19 00:00:00

The Latest: White House says no talk of firing Mueller

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385751

High school coaches see recruiting shift after early signing

All the top 2018 football prospects at St. Peter's Prep in New Jersey took advantage of the new NCAA signing period and wrapped up their recruitments in December. Still, St. Peter's coach Rich Hansen has been kept busy lately by college recruiters. "Duke just left. Syracuse was in this morning. Northwestern's in tomorrow. Virginia," Hansen said recently. The day before, Rutgers coach Chris Ash and coaches from Penn State swung by the Jersey City school that has produced Alabama All-American Minkah Fitzpatrick and Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush in recent years. The previous week, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer dropped by. "It's the same traffic. It's the same schedule," Hansen said. "The agenda just changed a little bit. But they're not going to give up an open (recruiting) period." The first two-legged signing period in major college football began Dec. 20 and will largely wrap up on Feb. 7, the traditional first Wednesday of February. The modified agenda for schools this January has been to fill a handful of open spots in the 2018 class and get a running start on 2019 and beyond. Several longtime, successful high school coaches gave the new recruiting calendar generally positive reviews. They were hopeful early signing would create more clarity and opportunities for their players. They said they have seen an increase in the recruitment of their remaining prospects. And while adding signing-day planning to the to-do list during playoff time was not ideal, none of the four thought it distracted players to the detriment of the team. According to recruiting and scouting analyst Tom Luginbill of ESPN, about 2,800 prospects sign in a typical year. During the Dec. 20-22 signing period, 2,003 high school players signed with Bowl Subdivision schools. Another 360 prospects are unsigned but committed heading into next week's traditional signing day, Luginbill said. Hansen had six players sign in December, including three of the top 20 prospects in New Jersey, according to 247 Sports' composite rankings. "It's over and done and I can start getting the kids going to D-IIs and IIIs, and the juniors and sophomores and freshmen," Hansen said. "But if I'm on the other side of the table and I'm waiting for that offer and it hasn't come, I don't know how I'm going to feel about it." Hansen said having most of the top prospects signed should help clear the "logjam" of prospects farther down the board that in past years would be holding out for better offers. With 10 days remaining before signing day, only 18 of 247 Sports' top 100 prospects were uncommitted. Another 13 were verbally committed, but unsigned. Steve Mask, head coach at St. Paul's Episcopal in Mobile, Alabama, had his best player, cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis, sign with the Crimson Tide in December. Mask's quarterback, Swift Lyle, held out, hoping that a Power Five offer might come. That's happened, Mask said. It's impossible to know if that would have happened without the early signing period, but it seems like a positive sign to Mask. "It may benefit those kids to some degree," Mask said. "The other side of that coin is it could also backfire. If Timbuktu College is a Group of Five and they're recruiting three quarterbacks and they say, 'You know what? We're going to take the first one that signs in December.' All of sudden that kid that gambled a little bit may not have the opportunity to come back." With college recruiters no longer having to focus on verbally committed recruits through January, guarding against last-minute flips, they have more time to take a swing at a top uncommitted recruit such as linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu from Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei. "That many more phone calls started to happen. That many more tweets. I guarantee these guys are coming in and (asking), 'What do you know about Solomon?'" Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson said. Rollinson's team won the state championship in 2017 in a game played four days before the early signing period opened. He said he never felt as if the looming decision-day affected his players. Kevin Wright, head coach at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, a school that draws elite athletes of all kinds from all over the world, had 19 players sign with FBS schools in December. It didn't necessarily hurt his team, he said, but he could tell recruiters were anxious to have players signed in December. "It definitely weighs on those kids," Wright said. "They're getting pushed hard right in the middle of the season to commit." Rollinson said the only nuisance caused by the early signing period was trying to prepare a signing day celebration for players inking a national letter of intent in December. He said the event lost some of its luster. "Whereas in February, we as a school try to make it as special, as we have done in the past," he said. Mask said less attention on signing day was fine by him. "Most people were out for the holidays. You didn't have all that fanfare," Mask said. "You didn't have ESPN using 19 channels to try to cover everybody from all over the country. And from that standpoint I thought that was a major benefit." ___ Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP ___ More AP college football: https://collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 02:57:00

High school coaches see recruiting shift after early signing

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353952

Strategy Analytics: Global Smart Home Market to Hit $155 Billion by 2023

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--The global smart home market ended on an upbeat note in 2017 reaching $84 billion, up 16% from $72 billion in 2016 according to a report just released by. According to the report, “”, worldwide consumer spending on smart home devices, systems and services will total nearly $96 billion in 2018 and grow at 10% CAGR over the forecast period (2018 to 2023) to $155 billion. North America will account for 41% of total spending or $40 billion, followed by the Asia-Pacific region at $26 billion and Western Europe at $17 billion. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006126/en/ Households with "Smart" Systems: Global Total (Graphic: Strategy Analytics) New offerings from big brand tech firms such as Amazon, Google (Nest), ADT and Samsung are driving adoption in North America. In Europe, UK-based Centrica Connected Homes’ Hive along with Deutsche Telekom’s Magenta Home, Germany’s eQ-3 and the Netherlands Enco’s Toon are stimulating market demand. In Asia-Pacific, China’s Xiaomi, Korean service provider LG U+, Japan’s iTSCOM and Panasonic, as well as, Origin and Telstra in Australia are powering the market. “The market continues to mature,” stated Bill Ablondi, Director of Strategy Analytics’ Smart Home Strategies advisory service. “Consumer awareness is rising, prices are coming down, and the technology is becoming more intuitive. Yet, there is still a high degree of fragmentation, with numerous firms competing for smart home consumers. Who will ultimately succeed in capturing growth in this market remains unclear.” About Strategy Analytics Strategy Analytics, Inc. provides the competitive edge with advisory services, consulting and actionable market intelligence for emerging technology, mobile and wireless, digital consumer and automotive electronics companies. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia, Strategy Analytics delivers insights for enterprise success. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006126/en/ CONTACT: Strategy Analytics, Inc. Bill Ablondi, +1 617-614-0744 wablondi@strategyanalytics.com or Jack Narcotta, +1 617-614-0798 jnarcotta@strategyanalytics.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS HARDWARE INTERNET AUDIO/VIDEO SECURITY MOBILE/WIRELESS SOURCE: Strategy Analytics, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 12:52 PM/DISC: 05/30/2018 12:52 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006126/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 00:52:00

Strategy Analytics: Global Smart Home Market to Hit $155 Billion by 2023

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444444

Venezuela drops overvalued exchange rate for state imports

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan officials are abandoning their most highly overvalued foreign exchange rate, which has been used for state imports of food and medicine as the nation's economic crisis worsens. Authorities announced in the nation's official gazette that all transactions will instead utilize a second official exchange rate known as Dicom. The Dicom rate still contrasts sharply with the current black market exchange rate: One U.S. dollar buys 3,345 bolivars at the Dicom rate while Venezuelans are paying an average of nearly 250,000 bolivars per U.S. dollar on the black market. The rate being abandoned was set at 10 bolivars per dollar. Venezuela has been operating with two official exchange rates, though most Venezuelans can only buy dollars on the illegal black market.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 01:59:00

Venezuela drops overvalued exchange rate for state imports

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354383

Predators beat Sabres 4-0, improve to 14-0-1 in last 15

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Pekka Rinne stopped 35 shots for his eighth shutout of the season and the Nashville Predators set a franchise record by earning a point in their 15th consecutive game with a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. Mike Fisher and Ryan Johansen scored goals 4:34 apart in the second period, and Filip Forsberg and Ryan Hartman sealed the victory by scoring in the final four minutes. The NHL-leading Predators improved to 14-0-1 in their past 15, and also extended their team-best road winning streak to nine straight. Rinne won his 11th straight to match his personal best in a stretch in which he's allowed just 18 goals. The shutout was the 51st of his 12-year career and third in nine games. Rinne also improved to 40-9-4 in becoming the NHL's seventh goalie to win 40 games in a season three or more times. BLUE JACKETS 5, BRUINS 4, OT BOSTON (AP) — Cam Atkinson scored 2:55 into overtime to lift Columbus to its eighth straight win, spoiling a splendid NHL debut for Boston forward Ryan Donato. Sonny Milano, Boone Jenner, Thomas Vanek and Artemi Panarin also scored for the Blue Jackets. Nick Foligno had two assists, and Vanek and Jenner each added one. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 34 shots. Atkinson cut in on the left wing and fired a wrister past Rask for the game-winner. Columbus moved into a tie with Philadelphia with 85 points, but the Flyers hold the tiebreaker for third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Blue Jackets hold the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. Donato had a goal and two assists for Boston, which moved a point behind idle Tampa Bay for first in the Atlantic. Riley Nash, Brad Marchand and David Krejci also scored for the Bruins, and Tuukka Rask finished with 20 saves. KINGS 4, WILD 3, OT. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Jeff Carter scored his second goal of the game with 33.8 seconds left on the clock in overtime and Los Angeles recovered after giving up a two-goal lead. Tanner Pearson and Dustin Brown also scored for Los Angeles, which has alternated wins and losses over its past nine games. The Kings pulled into a tie with Anaheim for third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points, and hold the tiebreaker over the Ducks. Jonathan Quick made 24 saves for the Kings, who appeared headed to a second straight loss until Brown tipped home a point shot from Drew Doughty with 46.5 seconds left in regulation. Doughty finished with three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek scored for the first time in 13 games with 2:31 left to give Minnesota the lead after trailing 2-0. Eric Staal added his 39th and Zach Parise had his second goal in three games for the Wild. Devan Dubnyk stopped 26 shots for Minnesota, which is in third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Colorado. PANTHERS 2, CANADIENS 0 MONTREAL (AP) — Roberto Luongo stopped 28 shots for his third shutout of the season and 76th of his career to lead Florida. Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov scored to help the Panthers inch closer to a playoff position, pulling three points behind idle new Jersey for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Florida has two games in hand on the Devils. Antti Niemi finished with 38 saves for Montreal, which was shut out for the second straight game and 12th time this season — including three against the Panthers. The Canadiens were coming off a 4-0 loss at Toronto on Saturday.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 12:38:00

Predators beat Sabres 4-0, improve to 14-0-1 in last 15

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386084

Britain's Prince William, Kate try bandy hockey in Sweden

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Britain's Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge have taken a shot at bandy hockey to kick off a visit to Sweden and Norway. William and Kate, who is pregnant with their third child, began their four-day tour Tuesday with a visit to an outdoor ice-skating venue in Stockholm. Later they will head to the royal palace for a luncheon with Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia before visiting a museum that tells the story of the Nobel prizes. Their trip also includes a visit to a medical institute to meet academics and discuss Sweden's approach to managing mental health challenges, a subject the royals have campaigned about. The royal couple, both 35, will continue to Norway on Thursday for a two-day visit.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 19:42:00

Britain's Prince William, Kate try bandy hockey in Sweden

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354175

Florida school shooting suspect foretold intention in videos

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The suspect in February's massacre at a Florida high school made chilling cellphone videos announcing his intention to become the next school shooter, aiming to kill at least 20 people and saying "you're all going to die." The three videos released by prosecutors Wednesday were found on the cellphone of suspect Nikolas Cruz after the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people. Cruz introduces himself in the first video and says he is "going to be the next school shooter of 2018." He goes on to say that he wants to use an AR-15 to kill at least 20 people and specifies the high school in Parkland. He laughs and then says, "You're all going to die." Cruz is charged with 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. ___ This story has corrected the spelling of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 05:04:00

Florida school shooting suspect foretold intention in videos

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444564

The Latest: Lewis discharged from hospital after train crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the accident involving a train carrying lawmakers to a policy retreat in West Virginia (all times local): 7 p.m. Aides to Minnesota Rep. Jason Lewis say he's been discharged from a Virginia hospital after suffering a concussion when a train carrying House Republicans to a retreat struck a truck. A tweet from Lewis' account late Wednesday said Lewis was heading for the retreat and planned to participate as much as he could as he recovers. The train taking House Republicans from Washington to a retreat in West Virginia collided with the garbage truck in Crozet, Virginia, on Wednesday. One person in the truck was killed. Fellow Minnesota Reps. Erik Paulsen and Tom Emmer were also on board the train. Both lawmakers say they were unhurt. ___ 6:15 p.m. A congressman who was on the train that hit a garbage truck in Virginia says the truck's driver was killed instantly. Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe, who is a doctor, told reporters about the death Wednesday evening. The White House earlier had confirmed one fatality and one serious injury after the chartered train carrying dozens of Republican lawmakers to a retreat in West Virginia hit the truck. Texas Rep. Michael Burgess, also a doctor, described the accident near Crozet, Virginia, as a "scene you don't ever want to see." Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona says seeing lawmaker doctors tending to the injured reminded him of Rep. Steve Scalise's shooting at a GOP baseball practice last year. ___ 5 p.m. A man who lives near the railroad crossing where a train carrying Republican lawmakers struck a garbage truck says the crossing arms have not been working correctly. Benny Layne said the truck landed on his property Wednesday after it collided with the Amtrak train near Crozet, Virginia. Layne told The Associated Press that he has recently seen lines of cars stopped at the crossing, with the crossing arms lowered even though no train was approaching. He said motorists would get out of their cars to help guide other motorists around the malfunctioning arms so they could cross the tracks. Layne says he has seen the arms stay down for hours. He also says he saw a man examining the crossing arms this week. CSX Transportation owns the tracks where the crash occurred. Buckingham Branch Railroad leases the tracks and is responsible for maintenance, signaling and traffic dispatching on the line. A spokeswoman for Buckingham said she was not aware of any problems with equipment at the crossing but referred questions to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash. ___ 3:30 p.m. The railroad crossing where a train carrying Republican lawmakers struck a trash truck is equipped with two advance warning signs, two roadway gate arms, two mast-mounted flashing lights and a bell to warn of an approaching train. Those details are included in a U.S. Department of Transportation Inventory Form dated Jan. 3 describing the warning system at the crossing near Crozet, Virginia. According to the report, three freight trains pass through the intersection during the day and two at night, on average. The report says passenger trains don't go through very often — an average of less than one per day. The maximum speed for trains crossing the intersection is 60 miles per hour. One accident report filed by CSX Transportation in 1999 said a train hit a vehicle that was stuck between the rails at the crossing. No injuries were reported, but there was damage to the train's engine and the vehicle, which was driven by a 70-year-old woman who got out of her car before the train hit. ___ 3:15 p.m. President Donald Trump says he has spoken to House Speaker Paul Ryan after a train carrying Republican lawmakers to a retreat hit a truck on the tracks in Virginia. The president says in the Oval Office that the lawmakers are "doing pretty good" and are "proceeding with their conference." Trump says he was told "it was a pretty rough hit." The White House says one person was killed and another was seriously injured after the chartered train struck a garbage truck. Trump is planning to address the Republican lawmakers Thursday at the conference at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. ___ Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee was injured Wednesday morning when a train taking Republican members of Congress to a retreat hit a garbage truck in Virginia. The Tennessean reports that Fleischmann said in a phone call from the scene, where he was being treated for his injuries, that he was on his way to the restroom when the crash occurred. He said he was thrown around upon impact and suffered neck, back and foot injuries. Fleischmann said he was in a "bit of shock" and significant pain. ___ 2:30 p.m. Staff members say Rep. Jason Lewis of Minnesota has been taken to a hospital after being injured in a train accident in Virginia. Members of his staff tweeted that the first-term congressman was being checked for a possible concussion after the Wednesday crash. Officials say the train was carrying Republican lawmakers from Washington to a retreat in West Virginia when it hit a truck on the tracks near Crozet, Virginia. The White House is confirming one fatality and one serious injury after the chartered train hit a garbage truck. ___ 2 p.m. Amtrak says two crew members and two passengers have been taken to a hospital with minor injuries after a train crash in Virginia. Amtrak spokeswoman Beth K. Toll says the four were injured when the train hit a truck on the tracks Wednesday morning near Crozet, Virginia. Police and a local hospital have given differing figures, but the reason for the discrepancies wasn't immediately clear. The train was carrying Republican lawmakers to a conference at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The accident happened at an intersection that crosses the tracks at the top of a hill where visibility is limited. There is a train arm at the crossing. Crozet is a small town west of Charlottesville, which is home to the University of Virginia. ___ 1:55 p.m. The organization that's hosting a retreat for congressional Republicans says the event will go on with an adjusted program in the wake of the train accident carrying participants to a West Virginia resort. The Congressional Institute says the decision was made after consulting with Republican leaders. The White House is confirming one fatality and one serious injury after the chartered train hit a garbage truck. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says there are no serious injuries among members of Congress or congressional staff. ___ 1:15 p.m. A congressman on the train involved in an accident on its way to a GOP retreat in West Virginia says three lawmakers who are doctors tended to crash victims. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky says the collision destroyed a garbage truck, leaving it "just in pieces." Comer says Reps. Larry Bucshon of Indiana, Roger Marshall of Kansas and Brad Wenstrup of Ohio came to the aid of crash victims before emergency personnel — including a transport helicopter — arrived. The train was en route to a conference at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and hit the truck in Crozet, Virginia — which is near west of Charlottesville. Comer says lawmakers, spouses, and aides had been on the train for about two hours when suddenly there was a crash. The impact made him jump out of his seat. ___ 12:40 p.m. An Amtrak spokeswoman says a train has come into contact with a vehicle on the tracks in central Virginia — the same area where members of Congress are reporting their train struck a truck. Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods says there are no reported injuries to passengers or crew members after the incident that happened around 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virginia. Crozet is about 15 miles west of Charlottesville. Woods says the train originated in Washington, but she couldn't confirm that members of Congress were aboard. She says local law enforcement is investigating and crews are inspecting equipment for damage. ___ 12:35 p.m. The White House is confirming one fatality and one serious injury after a chartered train carrying Republican lawmakers to a retreat in West Virginia hit a garbage truck. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says there are no serious injuries among members of Congress or congressional staff. Sanders says President Donald Trump has been fully briefed on the matter and is receiving regular updates. The train carrying the lawmakers hit a garbage truck south of Charlottesville, Virginia. Lawmakers are heading to their annual legislative retreat at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 05:00:00

The Latest: Lewis discharged from hospital after train crash

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355051

Germany deports 69 failed asylum-seekers to Afghanistan

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say they have deported 69 Afghans whose asylum requests were rejected back to their home country. A plane carrying the men from Munich to Kabul landed in the Afghan capital early Wednesday. It was one of the largest collective deportation flights yet organized by Germany, which has vowed to step up the removal of people who don't have a right to remain in the country. The state interior minister of Bavaria, where 51 of the men had been living, welcomed the deportation flight. Joachim Herrmann noted that unlimited deportations to Afghanistan had recently been approved by Germany's federal authorities. In recent years deportations to Afghanistan were limited to people with criminal convictions.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 22:50:00

Germany deports 69 failed asylum-seekers to Afghanistan

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474327

National Taiwan University leaps in university reputation survey

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- National Taiwan University moves up one bracket from 61-70 to 51-60 in university reputation survey announced by British magazine Times Higher Education on Thursday, while it was also the only university in Taiwan that made it into the top 100 in the rankings. The top 10 schools in the survey were mostly from the United States and the United Kingdom. Harvard University had the best reputation among the world's universities ever since the first survey followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. The top-performer in Asia this year was Japan's University of Tokyo at 11th, followed by Tsinghua University of China at 14th. The Times Higher Education World Reputation rankings are based on an invitation-only survey of thousands of senior researchers from all over the world.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 11:40:00

National Taiwan University moves up one bracket in university reputation survey.National Taiwan University was also the only university in Taiwan that made it into the top 100 in the rankings.

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188321

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FIFA drops Saudi referee from World Cup after fixing ban

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA has dropped referee Fahad Al Mirdasi from the World Cup after he was banned from football for life in Saudi Arabia over match fixing. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation said two weeks ago that Fahad Al Mirdasi asked for money to help a team win a cup final. Now FIFA says its referees' committee has decided that his conditions to be selected for the World Cup in Russia "are not satisfied anymore." As a result, the entire Saudi refereeing team has been removed from the tournament, including two assistants. FIFA says Al Mirdasi won't be directly replaced. Instead, the governing body will take two additional assistant referees from the United Arab Emirates and Japan.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-30 23:25:00

FIFA drops Saudi referee from World Cup after fixing ban

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444405

Book launch highlights Taiwan’s medical diplomacy

Efforts by the Republic of China (Taiwan) in assisting its diplomatic allies through medical aid reflect the country’s soft power and commitment to advancing global health, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs June 13. The success of Taiwan’s annual international medical mission in the Marshall Islands serves as a prime example in these regards, MOFA Deputy Minister Paul Wen-liang Chang said, adding that the country will continue to strengthen bilateral collaboration with the South Pacific ally to help improve its medical care. The deputy minister made the remarks during the launch of the book “The Guardian from Dawn to Dusk: the Stories of Shuang Ho Hospital Medical Missions in Marshall Islands,” which documents the efforts of medical professionals dispatched every year byTaipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital to the island state since 2013. According to Chang, the dedication of the local medical missions to enhancing public health in the Marshall Islands is greatly appreciated by the nation’s people. They expressed this sentiment to MOFA Minister David Tawei Lee when he visited the ROC diplomatic ally in April this year, the deputy minister added. Taiwan medical teams’ achievements underscore the effectiveness of the ROC government’s steadfast diplomacy, which is helping safeguard the global health system, Chang said. In a video recorded for the occasion, Marshall Islands Health Minister Kalani Kaneko thanked Taiwan for providing medical assistance to his country. Anjanette Kattil, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of the Marshall Islands in Taipei, also expressed gratitude for the medical teams’ successful efforts. According to the MOFA, since diplomatic relations between the ROC and Marshall Islands began in 1998, the two countries have maintained close cooperation in such areas as agriculture, clean energy, education, medicine and public health. A recent example of the firm bilateral ties is an agreement signed by Kaneko and Shuang Ho Hospital Deputy Superintendent Dr. Lin Jia-wei Feb. 24, 2017 in Marshall Islands. Under the pact, the hospital will oversee a residency program for Marshallese medical doctors graduating from the College of Medicine at Kaohsiung City-based I-Shou University, with the internship set to begin in August this year at Majuro Hospital under the supervision of Shuang Ho physicians. Taiwan’s medical missions in the Marshall Islands are representative of broader efforts to contribute to global health security. The Pacific island nation has played a major role in this endeavor, most recently by advocating for the ROC’s participation in this year’s World Health Assembly—the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, the MOFA added.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 12:18:00

Book launch highlights Taiwan’s medical diplomacy

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188352

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Massachusetts gambling regulators to review Wynn allegations

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts gambling regulators are holding a special meeting to discuss sexual misconduct allegations against casino magnate Steve Wynn, whose company is building a $2.4 billion casino outside Boston. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will receive an update on an investigation Wednesday. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker says if the allegations are true, Wynn would "fail to meet the suitability standard under the state gaming law." The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a number of women said they were harassed or assaulted by Wynn, and that one case led to a $7.5 million settlement. The 76-year-old Wynn has denied the allegations. Under the 2011 casino law, a license is considered a "revocable privilege," and can be suspended or revoked if a licensee is found "unsuitable to operate a gaming establishment."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Massachusetts gambling regulators to review Wynn allegations

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354670

Mercantile Bank of Michigan and Abe AI Celebrate #FinHealthMatters Day with Launch of Groundbreaking Financial Management Technology

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Mercantile Bank of Michigan and Abe AI are launching the MercMoney® Chatbot to support consumer financial health. In launching today, the organizations particularly want to draw attention to the need for financial health training and information for students and recent graduates. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006705/en/ What did I spend last night? (Photo: Business Wire) The nonprofit Center for Financial Health Services Innovation (CFSI) is putting a spotlight on the state of Americans’ financial health with #FinHealthMatters Day. This year, on April 25th 2018, #FinHealthMatters Day will focus specifically on the financial health of America’s students. With over 20 million Americans pursuing higher education and roughly 70% graduating with debt, the issue is critical. “We were delighted to see such support for #FinHealthMatters Day in 2016 and 2017,” said Jennifer Tescher, founder and CEO of CFSI. “It’s an annual day to draw attention to Americans’ financial health -- one of the most pressing issues of our time, and one that affects nearly everyone in some way.” The MercMoney® Chatbot will help users improve their financial health by providing secure, simple access to their accounts through Google Home, SMS, and Messenger. After linking their accounts, users can track spending, set budgets, and manage their finances simply by sending a message through their phone, or talking to their Google home. “At Mercantile we want to do everything we can to support our customers, and our students in particular, and that starts by re-thinking how we deliver relevant and timely financial insights that shape day-to-day financial decisions. That’s why we decided to expand accessibility by meeting them in the voice-and-messaging channels they are already using on a daily basis,” said John Schulte, Chief Information Officer. “To do this we’ve partnered with Abe AI, to expand the functionality of our personal financial management tools into Google Home, SMS (text-messaging), and Messenger. We want to make the management of money feel more like a conversation, rather than a chore.” “This is the most sophisticated conversational banking interface available today from any financial institution,” said Rob Guilfoyle, CEO of Abe AI. “Being able to say, ‘How much do I have left in my grocery budget this month?’ or even make a new savings goal just by talking to my Google Home - that’s groundbreaking, and has the potential to transform the way we interact with our finances, taking away some of the potential intimidation, and making them simpler and more approachable.” About Mercantile Bank of Michigan Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mercantile Bank Corporation is the bank holding company for Mercantile Bank of Michigan. Mercantile provides banking services to businesses, individuals and governmental units, and differentiates itself on the basis of service quality and the expertise of its banking staff. The mission of Mercantile is to provide value in a highly professional and personalized manner. Mercantile has assets of approximately $3.2 billion and operates 47 banking offices. Mercantile Bank Corporation’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “MBWM.” For more information on Mercantile Bank of Michigan, visit https://www.mercbank.com/ or follow us on Twitter at @MercBank. About Abe AI Abe AI exists to create simplicity and convenience in everyone’s financial lives. Established in 2016, Abe AI makes it possible for financial institutions to utilize the latest advancements in artificial intelligence to engage and support consumers on conversational interfaces including Google Home, SMS, Facebook Messenger, smarter IVRs and more to drive acquisition, support engagement, and user experience. With Abe AI’s artificial intelligence platform, financial institutions can effortlessly build their own AI-powered banking solutions. For more information, visit www.abe.ai. Follow Abe AI on Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006705/en/ CONTACT: Mercantile Bank of Michigan John Schulte, 616-813-3894 jschulte@mercbank.com or Abe AI, Inc. Keith Armstrong, 407-310-8166 media@abe.ai KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA FLORIDA MICHIGAN INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT NETWORKS SOFTWARE OTHER TECHNOLOGY SECURITY MOBILE/WIRELESS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BANKING FINANCE OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SOURCE: Abe AI, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 07:30 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 07:30 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006705/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 07:30:00

Mercantile Bank of Michigan and Abe AI Celebrate #FinHealthMatters Day with Launch of Groundbreaking Financial Management Technology

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413752

The Latest: Search called off for bears in Alaska mauling

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Latest on three juveniles being injured in bear mauling near Anchorage (all times local): 3:45 p.m. Three juveniles were mauled Wednesday after coming across a grizzly bear and her two cubs while they were hiking in a heavily wooded area just north of Alaska's largest city. Anchorage authorities said four young people were hiking in the woods around the Eagle River campground when three of them were injured after running into the bears. Police say three juveniles were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other youth wasn't injured. Ken Marsh is the spokesman for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He says it's possible this group just surprised the bears, and the mother reacted "defensively, pretty much in brown bear fashion." The search for the bears has been called off. Officials will put up signs warning people of bear activity in the area. ___ 1:57 p.m. Three hikers have been injured following a run-in with a bear at a campground near Alaska's largest city. Anchorage authorities say four young people were hiking in the woods around the Eagle River campground when three of them were injured by a grizzly bear with two cubs. They were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Anchorage police said in a news release say that while responding officers were searching for the hikers they were charged by the bear and shot at it. The bear's status was not immediately known.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 07:48:00

The Latest: Search called off for bears in Alaska mauling

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188184

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World's last male northern white rhino, Sudan, dies

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Researchers say the world's last male northern white rhino, Sudan, has died after "age-related complications." A statement from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya says the 45-year-old rhino was euthanized on Monday after his condition "worsened significantly" and he was no longer able to stand. The rhino had been part of an ambitious effort to save the subspecies from extinction with the help of the two surviving females. "He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity," said the conservancy's CEO, Richard Vigne. Sudan was something of a celebrity, attracting thousands of visitors.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 14:20:00

World's last male northern white rhino, Sudan, dies

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386153

China awards Trump valuable new trademark

SHANGHAI (AP) — The government of China awarded U.S. President Donald Trump valuable rights to his own name this week, in the form of a 10-year trademark for construction services. The registration became official on Feb. 14 and was published in a trademark registration announcement on the website of China's Trademark Office on Wednesday. This may well be the first foreign trademark to be handed to Trump during his presidency, but is unlikely to be the last. In China alone he has 49 pending trademark applications and 77 marks already registered in his own name, most of which will come up for renewal during his term. Critics say Trump's global intellectual property interests could be used by foreign states as leverage over the president and may violate the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bars public servants from accepting anything of value from foreign governments unless explicitly approved by Congress. These concerns are particularly sharp in China, where the courts and bureaucracy reflect the will of the ruling Communist Party. The registration this week came as a surprise win for Trump after a decade of trying — and failing — to wrest the rights to his name back from a man named Dong Wei. The a href='https://apnews.com/c113029cef374b29b22e0d836f41a1ef/With-Trump's-win-in-China,-will-Trump-toilets-get-flushed?'abrupt turn in Trump's bureaucratic fortunes/a once he declared his candidacy has raised questions about the extent to which his political status may be helping his family business. Any special treatment from China would mean that Trump effectively accepted a present from Beijing, an act that would violate the Constitution, Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said in an email. "A different conclusion might be reached if Trump had been treated like everyone else seeking a trademark, but the evidence does not point in that direction." Alan Garten, chief legal officer of The Trump Organization, said Trump's trademark activity in China predates his election. Trump has turned management of his company over to his children and a team of executives in order to remove himself from his business and its trademark portfolio, he added. China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce, which oversees the Trademark Office, and the foreign ministry could not be reached for comment Wednesday. ___ Associated Press researcher Fu Ting in Shanghai contributed to this report. ___ Follow Kinetz on Twitter at twitter.com/ekinetz

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-14 00:00:00

China awards Trump valuable new trademark

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095708

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Mississippi imposes 15-week abortion ban; nation's toughest

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi's governor has signed the nation's tightest abortion restrictions into law. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1510 on Monday afternoon. It becomes law immediately and bans most abortions after 15 weeks' gestation. Bryant has frequently said he wants Mississippi to be the "safest place in America for an unborn child." The law's only exceptions are if a fetus has health problems making it "incompatible with life" outside of the womb at full term, or if a pregnant woman's life or a "major bodily function" is threatened by pregnancy. Pregnancies resulting from rape and incest aren't exempted. Abortion rights advocates are calling the law unconstitutional because it limits abortion before fetuses can live outside the womb. The owner of Mississippi's only abortion clinic opposes the law and has pledged to sue.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 04:51:00

Mississippi imposes 15-week abortion ban; nation's toughest

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385810

Senate overwhelmingly approves new package of sanctions to punish Russia for meddling in 2016 election

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate overwhelmingly approves new package of sanctions to punish Russia for meddling in 2016 election.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 02:45:00

Senate overwhelmingly approves new package of sanctions to punish Russia for meddling in 2016 election

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188071

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Toro Supports 2018 Wyland National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation

RIVERSIDE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--April is Water Conservation Month, making this an ideal time to for people everywhere to take steps to conserve and protect one of earth’s most vital resources. April also means the Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, the largest community-based challenge for water conservation, is in full swing. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005115/en/ Furthering education and awareness in water conservation, Toro continues its support of the Wyland National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation (Photo: The Toro Company) Held every year from April 1-30, the National Mayor’s Challenge is presented by the Wyland Foundation with sponsorship and support from The Toro Company. The 7 th annual challenge kicked off with Plano, Texas, Mayor Harry LaRosiliere challenging mayors throughout the U.S. to help spread the word about the importance of water. The challenge rewards individual residents who make pledges online at www.mywaterpledge.com to perform specific water-saving activities throughout the month. By simply pledging their commitment to easy water-saving actions, residents are eligible for a chance to win many exciting prizes – $5,000 toward home utilities payments, water-efficient home irrigation products like Toro smart irrigation controllers, and other eco-friendly products. This year residents can also nominate a local charity from a participating city to win a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vehicle. Toro has been a partner with the Wyland Foundation since 2015, supporting outreach and activities around water conservation throughout the year. “Our partnership is a natural fit in our mission to support sustainability through the efficient use of water,” says Phil Burkart, vice president of Toro’s Irrigation & Lighting Businesses. “We recognize the limited resources and availability of water. It’s why we are dedicated to providing water-saving innovation and education to our customers worldwide.” “As a worldwide leader in irrigation technology and innovation for homes, golf courses, sports fields, municipalities and agriculture, Toro recognizes the importance of protecting water resources for future generations,” says renowned marine life artist and conservationist Wyland. “Toro’s support for Wyland Foundation and the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation further demonstrates their commitment to ensure availability for people around the world and to educate the masses on how to successfully use water without waste.” The National Mayors Challenge continues through April 30, 2018. Other sponsors include Toyota, EPA WaterSense ®, National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation, Earth Friendly Products, makers of ECOS, and southern California broadcast partner KCAL9/KCBS2. The challenge is designed to bring together all facets of the community to follow their city’s progress throughout the month and to use that information to encourage neighbors, businesses and civic groups to spread the word. At the midway point in the annual challenge, residents across the United States have already committed to reducing their water waste by approximately 1 billion gallons. About The Toro Company The Toro Company is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment including turf maintenance, snow and ice management, landscape, rental and specialty construction equipment, and irrigation and outdoor lighting solutions. With sales of $2.5 billion in fiscal 2017, Toro’s global presence extends to more than 125 countries. Through constant innovation and caring relationships built on trust and integrity, Toro and its family of brands have built a legacy of excellence by helping customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties and agricultural operations. For more information, visit www.toro.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005115/en/ CONTACT: The Toro Company Alexis Bookman alexis.bookman@toro.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENERGY UTILITIES NATURAL RESOURCES AGRICULTURE OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES LANDSCAPE URBAN PLANNING ENVIRONMENT CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY SOURCE: The Toro Company Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 08:30 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 08:30 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005115/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-23 20:30:00

Toro Supports 2018 Wyland National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413533

The Latest: Tokyo subway workers mark gas attack anniversary

TOKYO (AP) — The Latest on the anniversary of the 1995 Tokyo subway nerve gas attack (all times local): 12:40 p.m. Tokyo subway employees have marked the 23rd anniversary of a nerve gas attack that killed 13 people and sickened thousands at several stations. Uniformed workers bowed their heads in silence Tuesday at Kasumigaseki station, one of those targeted by the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult. The current station head and the 71-year-old widow of an assistant stationmaster who died in the attack placed flowers on a temporary altar set up for offerings. Thirteen cult members have been sentenced to death for the March 20, 1995, attack and other crimes. Kyodo News service quoted the widow Shizue Takahashi saying the trials went on for a long time, and she feels the process has entered the next stage. ___ 10:20 a.m. Thirteen Japanese cult members may be sent to the gallows any day now for a 1995 gas attack on the Tokyo subway system and other crimes. But when is uncertain. Such is the secrecy that surrounds Japan's death penalty system. Tuesday marks 23 years since members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult punctured plastic bags to release sarin nerve gas inside subway cars, sickening thousands and killing 13. Cult leader Shoko Asahara and a dozen followers have been sentenced to death for that and other crimes that killed 27 in all. The relocation of seven of the convicts to detention centers outside of Tokyo last week has sparked speculation that executions could be imminent. Accomplices are customarily hanged on the same day. The executions won't be announced until after they occur.

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2018-03-20 14:00:00

The Latest: Tokyo subway workers mark gas attack anniversary

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385998

What's next for Malaysia's disgraced ex-PM Najib Razak?

The spectacle of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak being hauled to court to face corruption charges gripped Malaysians and marked a historic moment in the nation's politics. Najib, who until recently was at the apex of power in the Southeast Asian country, now must face the ignominy of defending himself against accusations of corruption. The massive graft scam involving the state-run multibillion-dollar 1MDB fund, tarnished Najib's reputation and many believe it played a major role in his party's defeat in recently held elections, which upended the nation's political landscape. On Wednesday, Najib pleaded not guilty to three charges of criminal breach of trust and a fourth for abuse of power. He has been released on bail and was ordered to surrender his two diplomatic passports. His trial will begin in February 2019. The court also granted an interim gag order that Najib's lawyers requested. This would limit media coverage to only "the merits of the case," and hamper reporting on a high-profile story spanning six countries. Malaysian Attorney General Tommy Thomas, who leads a 12-member prosecution team, will file a formal response opposing the order. The return of good governance? Social media has been awash with posts and memes by Malaysians welcoming the news of the imminent trial of a leader who they see as having enriched himself with public funds while tainting the country's image. Many attribute the swift investigation and Najib's subsequent arrest to the current ruling party Pakatan Harapan's pre-election promise to deal with the 1MDB scandal. "Truth be told, I believe that his being brought to justice was partly driven by public pressure. After all, it is us who put the current government in charge of running this country," Kuala Lumpur-based legal consultant, Madeleine D’Angelus, told DW. Bridget Welsh, associate professor of political science and Southeast Asia expert at the John Cabot University, who is currently in Kuala Lumpur observing the proceedings, said that this case will also reinforce the issue of good governance — something that the public found lacking during Najib's tenure as premier. "It is a precarious situation because it's a highly politicized arrest that shows that what goes around comes around. It also shows that Malaysia is moving towards a cleaner process and there's a lot of hope. People are pleased. For many Malaysians, Najib betrayed the public's trust," she told DW. Read more: Malaysia says seized items in ex-premier probe valued at €234 million Death knell for corruption? Described as the "world’s biggest financial scandal," the 1MDB issue laid bare the rampant and deep-rooted corruption within the Malaysian government and some of the external bodies associated with it. "The problem of corruption is endemic in Malaysia — it's not just within politics but also businesses. So this is the beginning of a very important step and sends a signal that leaders are accountable and cannot misuse public funds. It moves Malaysia in the right direction to clean out the dirt," said Welsh. Others see Najib's prosecution as a warning to members of the current Pakatan Harapan government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, as well as future administrations, to conduct their affairs transparently and not to the detriment of the electorate who voted them into office. "There is already a new policy in place stating that gifts to government figures are to be kept to a minimum. If this is further strengthened by legislative developments and the guarantee of the independence of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), then I am confident that this will see the end of most corruption," Azmi Sharom, associate professor of law at University Malaya, told DW. "Money politics, that is to say buying patronage and support, will probably go on in parties such as UMNO which, by their selection of [former deputy prime minister] Zahid Hamidi as their new president, have shown that they want to continue business as usual," Azmi added. Read more: Malaysia election: People were 'disgusted with government's corruption' Malaysia sets up task force to probe 1MDB scandal Not going down alone Both Najib and his supporters have contended that the charges against him are politically motivated. This places the onus on the current administration under Mahathir to not just establish a watertight case against Najib, but also to dispel rumors of political retribution. Najib, who also held the finance portfolio during his tenure as prime minister, has previously claimed ignorance of any wrongdoing in the daily business of 1MDB. "His name is on the documents and the money was in his bank account. The MACC wouldn't have arrested him without due cause. They have not rushed into it. It's been five weeks since they started conducting the investigations and counting the goodies," explained Welsh, adding that Najib is unlikely to go down alone. "I would say that the directors involved in 1MDB will be affected as well. Other former ministers are coming forward too. There is a collective responsibility." Azmi argues that the political consequences are not as important as the criminal consequences. "The anti-money laundering law in Malaysia has a very broad range of offenses; anyone proven to have received money from 1MDB will be in serious danger of prosecution." The neighbors are watching Najib's arrest and imminent trial may also have international implications, which could prove discomfiting to some Southeast Asian nations. "While Najib isn't the first leader to be arrested in Southeast Asia, his arrest makes history in Malaysia," said Welsh. "Among Southeast Asian neighbors, Singapore would be watching very closely as its [banking sector's] involvement with the 1MDB has not been fully divulged yet," said Welsh. Azmi also believes that the prosecution could look to Malaysia's neighbors for cues on how to best navigate the unchartered territory of bringing high-ranking government officials to justice. "In terms of battling corruption, Indonesia has made some impressive progress and could probably be a better example to look to," he told DW. Read more: Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim: from prisoner to prime minister-in-waiting Reckoning ahead Despite their jubilance that justice is finally being meted out, Malaysians are remaining rather pragmatic. Fahmi Reza, political critic, street artist and documentary filmmaker, who was jailed last year for publishing a clown caricature of Najib, was among those following the proceedings in Kuala Lumpur. "The arrest and prosecution brings us one step closer towards getting some justice, but the fight against corruption and kleptocracy is far from being over. We still have a long way to go if we want to end the culture of impunity and corruption in this country," Fahmi told DW. In a prerecorded message to his fellow Malaysians posted on Twitter on Tuesday, Najib apologized and sought forgiveness from fellow Malaysians, adding that despite doing his very best "there were many weaknesses." Najib also fired a salvo at the current administration. "Everyone is equal before the law," he said. "Not just in the world, but also judgment in the afterlife."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-05 00:02:00

Corruption charges against former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak mark a major turning point in a graft scandal that has blighted the Southeast Asian nation. Malaysians are seeking a return to good governance.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474353

Romania: Ceausescu auction marks century since his birth

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A Romanian auction house is selling memorabilia belonging to former Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu to mark what would have been his 100th birthday. The "Golden Era" online auction kicks off Wednesday evening. Among the 250 items going under the hammer are a fur-lined hunting cap worn by Ceausescu, an avid hunter, and shoes and a purse made for his wife, Elena Ceausescu. There's even toilet paper, which was scarce in the late days of communism. Iulian Plestiu, research director at Artmark auction house, says potential buyers are middle-aged Romanians collecting memorabilia or younger people looking to acquire one of the now-trendy period posters. Communism in Romania ended in 1989 when the Ceausescus were executed after a summary trial.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Romania: Ceausescu auction marks century since his birth

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354762

Tennessee church shooting suspect indicted on 43 counts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting a woman and wounding six people at a Tennessee church in September faces a 43-count indictment, including first-degree murder, attempted murder and felony civil rights intimidation charges. Friday's grand jury indictment in Davidson County charges 26-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson in the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ shooting in Nashville. He's been held without bond since September. An arrest affidavit from September says Samson waived his rights and told police he arrived armed and fired at Burnette. In October, Nashville Police Detective Steve Jolley testified that a note in Samson's car referred to a white supremacist's 2015 massacre at a South Carolina black church. Jolley said Samson also told him he didn't give much thought to race or religion, and heard voices and had visions.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 02:50:00

Tennessee church shooting suspect indicted on 43 counts

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385758

Gonzales, Mariners edge sagging White Sox 1-0

CHICAGO (AP) — Marco Gonzales and four relievers combined on a five-hitter, Mitch Haniger singled home the only run and the Seattle Mariners edged the Chicago White Sox 1-0 Tuesday. At 5-15, the rebuilding White Sox are off to their worst start since the 1950 season. That year they opened 5-20 en route to a 60-94 finish. Gonzales (2-2) was in control almost from the start, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out eight in six-plus innings. The left-hander snapped a run of three starts in which he lasted no more than 4 2/3 innings. Seattle broke out on top against fill-in starter Chris Volstad (0-1) in the fourth when Kyle Seager doubled and scored on Haniger's base hit, both with two outs. After Yoan Moncada's leadoff double chased Gonzales in the seventh, reliever Dan Altavilla retired the next two batters before Marc Rzepczynski got the final out of the inning. Juan Nicasio pitched the eighth then Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for his ninth save in as many tries. Volstad (0-1) was effective for 4 1/3 innings. The veteran allowed one run and four hits and didn't walk a batter as a replacement for Miguel Gonzalez, who is on the 10-day disabled list with an inflamed right rotator cuff. The start was the first for Volstad after four relief appearances this year and third in the majors since the 2012 season. White Sox manager Rick Renteria was ejected by plate umpire Mike Estabrook after he protested a called third strike to Matt Davidson that ended a two-on, two-out threat in the sixth. TIME WILL TELL The game had a rare 4:10 p.m. start time as part of a team marketing experiment. An estimated 2,000 fans witnessed the first pitch in sunny, 59-degree weather. The announced attendance was 10,761. IN DANNY'S CORNER Former Mariners teammates and their wives remained in contact with the family of White Sox RHP Danny Farquhar, who underwent surgery for a brain aneurysm last weekend. He spent the 2013-15 seasons with the team. "You just want to give his family enough space, but you also want to do all you can to be there for support," said C Mike Zunino, Farquhar's ex-batterymate. "When you first hear something like this happens, it's really scary because you have don't know what's going to happen. It seems like each day we hear something positive, so that's a really good feeling." TRAINER'S ROOM Mariners: 1B Ryon Healy (sprained right ankle) neared his return from the disabled list with a two-run single and walk in four plate appearances for Double-A Arkansas Tuesday. White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (left shoulder surgery) pitched three innings Monday against the Reds in an extended spring game in Arizona. He could rejoin the parent club in late May. UP NEXT Mariners: RHP Felix Fernandez (2-2, 5.06 ERA) will take a career 6-6 mark vs. the White Sox into the series finale Wednesday. He was a 4-3 winner in his only appearance against them last year. White Sox: RHP James Shields (1-2, 6.17) comes off his worst start of the season, a 10-0 blowout against the Houston Astros in which he allowed seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 08:23:00

Gonzales, Mariners edge sagging White Sox 1-0

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413771

Asian confederation imposes life bans for Laos match-fixing

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Asian Football Confederation has banned 15 current or former players for life for match-fixing. They are among 22 people from Laos and Cambodia issued with life bans by the AFC disciplinary committee for manipulating matches involving Laos national teams and club side Lao Toyota. The banned players represented Laos or Lao Toyota. The AFC says its match-fixing investigation is ongoing so "specific details including the relevant matches will not be disclosed." The regional governing body wants FIFA to extend the bans globally.

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2017-02-15 19:55:00

Asian confederation imposes life bans for Laos match-fixing

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095723

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City to pay $2.6M to family of veteran killed by police

MODESTO, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California city has agreed to pay $2.65 million to the family of a mentally ill Gulf War veteran fatally shot by police in 2014 after his family called 911. The Sacramento Bee reports Tuesday the agreement between the city of Lodi and the family of Parminder Singh Shergill settles a federal lawsuit the family filed accusing the officers of excessive force. Shergill was killed after his sister-in-law called 911 and said he was a paranoid schizophrenic who was "going crazy" and was attacking his mother. Shergill's family says he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after participating in Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s. Officers fatally shot Shergill as he walked through his neighborhood after they said he charged at them with a knife. Shergill's family disputes that account. ___ Information from: The Sacramento Bee, http://www.sacbee.com

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 04:03:00

City to pay $2.6M to family of veteran killed by police

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413455

The Latest: Islamic militants kill 12 troops in south Yemen

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The Latest on the situation in Yemen (all times local): 12:10 p.m. Yemeni tribesmen say suspected Islamic militants have attacked a checkpoint in southern Yemen, killing at least 12 soldiers. The tribesmen say Tuesday's attack started with a mortar round fired at the checkpoint, followed by heavy gunfire that killed most of its guards. The checkpoint is near the southern city of Ataq, the provincial capital of Shabwa. They tribesmen spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the media. The troops guarding the checkpoint are part of a unit called the Elite Shabwa Force that was trained by the United Arab Emirates and deployed last year to the region. It declared victory over al-Qaida's branch in Yemen, which used Shabwa as a safe haven. The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen's Shiite rebels who control the country's north. Meanwhile, UAE-trained forces in the city of Aden — some 400 kilometers, or 250 miles, from Shabwa— have battled Yemeni government forces there and seized control of a district where the presidential palace is located. —Ahmed Al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen; ___ 10 a.m. Yemeni security officials say the prime minister is preparing to flee the country for Saudi Arabia after separatists seized the area around the presidential palace in the southern port city of Aden in fierce battles overnight. The officials say fighters loyal to the so-called Southern Transitional Council fought all way to the gates of the Palace of Maashiq in the district of Crater in Aden, forcing President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's troops to abandon their positions. They said Hadi's prime minister and several Cabinet members would leave imminently to Riyadh. The palace is the seat of Yemen's internationally backed government. The separatist forces did not enter the palace itself and were stopped by Saudi Arabian troops who have been guarding the palace for the past months.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 17:09:00

The Latest: Islamic militants kill 12 troops in south Yemen

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354129

10 Things to Know for Today

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. WHAT TRUMP WILL HERALD IN STATE OF THE UNION The Republican president will trumpet a robust economy and push for bipartisan congressional action on immigration in the annual address. 2. US ISSUES 'PUTIN LIST' BUT NO PUNISHMENT The political list is the entire presidential administration, as listed on the Kremlin website, and the Russian Cabinet, while the oligarchs list is a carbon copy of the top of the Forbes magazine's Russian billionaires' list, compiled to hit Moscow for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election. 3. WHAT HAS BECOME A POLITICAL FLASHPOINT Republicans on the House intelligence committee vote to release a classified memo that purports to show improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia investigation. 4. CHILD EXPERTS: JUST SAY 'NO' TO FACEBOOK'S KIDS APP A group letter sent to Mark Zuckerberg argues that younger children aren't ready to have social media accounts, navigate the complexities of online relationships or protect their own privacy. 5. PENTAGON RESTRICTS RELEASE OF AFGHAN WAR DATA Trump is railing against the recent string of attacks in Afghanistan, and rules out any U.S. discussions with the Taliban as part of the effort to achieve peace. 6. PROMINENT CHINESE JOURNALIST TRANSITIONS TO NEW ROLE Hu Shuli speaks guardedly to AP about censorship and declares her financial magazine Caixin free to conduct its signature muckraking reporting, despite governmental obstacles. 7. WHERE THEY'RE 'LOOTING TO EAT' AMID ECONOMIC TAILSPIN Mobs of poor Venezuelans are pilfering markets, swarming trucks loaded with corn and slaughtering cows with rocks and machetes in an outburst of almost daily unrest triggered by hunger. 8. HISTORIC VEGAS NEON SIGNS SET TO SHINE BRIGHT AGAIN The Neon Museum is bringing back to life some of the most iconic marquees of Sin City thanks to projectors that will cast digitally reconstructed images of the signs back onto the hulking metal, AP learns. 9. 'COOL RUNNINGS' REDUX IN NIGERIA Even though the competitors are American-born, Nigeria will field the first bobsled team from the entire continent of Africa in the Pyeongchang Games next month. 10. HOW THEY'RE DESCRIBING 'BLACK PANTHER' "Incredible" and "kinetic" are just a few of the words people are using to describe the new Marvel flick that follows a late king's son's ascension to the throne in a fictional African nation.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

10 Things to Know for Today

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354160

Romanian court rules president must fire anti-corruption chief

Romania's constitutional court on Wednesday ruled in a 6-3 vote that President Klaus Iohannis is constitutionally obliged to sack the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi. The court said it would explain its ruling later, without saying when, issuing the following statement. "The president has refused to issue the dismissal decree [...] which has blocked the justice minister from using his authority related to the prosecutors' activities," the court said in a statement. "The constitutional conduct that must be followed is for the president to issue the dismissal decree." Hundreds of people protested near the government building in Bucharest after the ruling was announced. Iohannis, from the center-right Union to Save Romania party, has resisted calls for him to sack Kovesi, a figure widely seen as taking on the corruption endemic to Romanian public life and touching several members of the ruling social democrats (PSD). Read more: Romania's democracy in danger after Mihai Tudose resignation The court had to decide whether the president was required by the constitution to implement the request of the justice minister, Tudorel Toader, to sack Kovesi. It said there had been an "institutional conflict" that needed resolving. According to the constitution, only the president can dismiss the DNA chief. Since their election victory in December 2016, the PSD and its junior, liberal, partner ALDE have sought to bring the judiciary under tighter executive control Under Kovesi's leadership, the DNA investigated 60 top-ranking officials, including a prime minister and over 40 lawmakers and other wealthy Romanians over the past four years. Liviu Dragnea, leader of the PSD, faces charges of alleged misconduct and Kovesi's office was preparing a case against him. He was given a two-year suspended sentence in 2016 for electoral fraud. The PSD tried in early 2017 to decriminalize several corruption offenses by emergency decree but withdrew the bill after huge street protests. Iohannis' reaction awaited "Regardless of what the court decides, I will wait for the motivation, I will read it and act accordingly," Iohannis told reporters before the decision. Iohannis has said that Toader's reasoning for wanting to remove Kovesi contained "weak arguments" and had defended Kovesi's work as a prosecutor. The independent judicial watchdog has also expressed a positive opinion of Kovesi and the EU has praised her work. The EU has a special mechanism monitoring Romania's justice system. Government praises ruling Toader praised the ruling, saying Iohannis did not have "the legal ability to evaluate the professional and management competences of high-ranking prosecutors." In a February report calling for Kovesi's dismissal, Toader said she was "authoritarian," claimed that prosecutors had falsified evidence and said the number of acquittals was too high. Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanum said on Wednesday that Kovesi "should have resigned a long time ago." Opposition up in arms The opposition party Union to Save Romania said the ruling was politically motivated and was designed to help the PSD. It said the government wants to replace Kovesi with someone more pliable. The party said in a statement that the court's decision "deals a heavy blow to the court's credibility." Tensions between Romania's center-right president and the center-left government reached a nadir in April when Iohannis called for the country's Prime Minister Viorica Dancila to resign. Hundreds of Romanians have said they will attend a demonstration in Bucharest in support of Kovesi and to "defend democracy and justice," while about 108,000 people have signed an online petition calling on Iohannis not to dismiss Kovesi. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. jbh/rc (AP, AFP, Reuters)

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 09:02:00

Romania's highest court has ruled the country's president must fire the country’s chief anti-corruption prosecutor. The move has intensified fears the EU’s most corrupt member will renege on its anti-graft drive.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444634

Italian police nab ancient artifact trafficking gang

Italian police on Wednesday said an international criminal gang who stole artifacts from Sicilian archaeological sites had been dismantled with scores of arrests made. The group "illegally exported" many of the stolen artifacts to Germany where they were granted fake certificates of origin and sold by auction houses in Munich, the Carabinieri art heritage police said. Read more: The most spectacular art robberies in history Some of the 20,000 objects recovered included ancient coins, statues and pottery, as well as fake artifacts, and police said the haul was estimated to be worth more than €40 million ($46.5 million). Arrests across several countries A total of 23 people have been arrested in relation to the gang, with eight in custody, seven under house arrest in Italy, and three subject to European arrest warrants in Germany, Spain and Britain. A 61-year-old Italian was arrested in Ehingen, in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, and €30,000 ($35,000 dollars) in cash was seized from his home. Read more: How Paris' 100-million-euro art heist happened A British art dealer was arrested in London and another Italian was arrested in Barcelona. The group's alleged leader is a 76-year-old man known as "Zu Gino" (Uncle Gino), who worked out of the Sicilian town of Riesi. Police are also investigating two Munich auction houses. Another five suspects were not detained, but have been ordered to report regularly to police, the art heritage squad said. law/kms (AP, dpa)

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-05 00:02:00

Italian police say many stolen artifacts were sent to Germany where they were given fake certificates of origin and sold at auction houses. Thousands of objects were recovered during the operation.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474354

German automakers face heat over tests on monkeys, humans

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Public criticism of the German auto industry has escalated after a report that an industry-sponsored entity commissioned a study of the effects of diesel exhaust using monkeys, while another study exposed humans to low levels of one type of air pollutant. The German government on Monday condemned the experiments and Volkswagen sought to distance itself from them, with its chairman saying that "in the name of the whole board I emphatically disavow such practices." The tests were reportedly commissioned by a research group funded by major German auto companies. Revelations of the tests add a twist to the German auto industry's attempt to move past Volkswagen's scandal over cheating on diesel tests and the resulting questioning of diesel technology across the industry. Volkswagen Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said the tests must be "investigated completely and without reservation," the dpa news agency reported. A report by The New York Times found that the research group financed by top German car manufacturers commissioned experiments in which one group of monkeys was exposed to diesel exhaust from a late-model Volkswagen, while another group was exposed to fumes from an older Ford pickup. The experiments were carried out in 2014 before Volkswagen was caught using software that let vehicles cheat on emissions tests. They were intended to show modern diesel technology had solved the problem of excess emissions, but according to the Times report the Volkswagen car in the tests was equipped with illegal software that turned emissions controls on while the car was on test stands and off during regular driving. Volkswagen admitted using the software in 2015. The Volkswagen scandal led to public scrutiny of diesel emissions as regulators discovered that other companies' vehicles also had higher emissions on the road than during testing, though not necessarily through illegal rigging. The industry has had to fend off calls for diesel bans in German cities with high pollution levels. Daimler AG said it was "appalled by the nature and extent of the studies" and said that, though it didn't have any influence on the studies' design, "we have launched a comprehensive investigation into the matter." BMW said that it "did not participate in the mentioned study" on animals "and distances itself from this study." It said it was investigating the work and background of the research group. The Times report said the group that commissioned the studies, known by German initial EUGT, got all of its funding from the three automakers. The Times report was followed by one in Monday's edition of the Stuttgarter Zeitung daily that the now-closed research group also commissioned tests in which humans were exposed to nitrogen dioxide, which belongs to a class of pollutants known as nitrogen oxides. The group reportedly said the tests showed no effect on the subjects. The human study, carried out by Aachen University, involved studying the effects of exposing 25 subjects, mostly students, to low levels of nitrogen dioxide like those that could be found in the environment — from a 40-liter bottle, not a diesel engine. The individuals gave informed written consent for the study, which was approved by the ethics committee of the university's medical faculty, according to the study. The university said the study had no relation to the diesel scandal. The German government condemned the reported tests on animals and humans. Transport Minister Christian Schmidt "has no understanding for such tests ... that do not serve science but merely PR aims," spokesman Ingo Strater told reporters in Berlin. He called for the companies concerned to provide "immediate and detailed" responses, and said a ministry commission of inquiry that was set up after the emissions scandal broke will hold a special meeting to examine whether there are any other cases. Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said that "the disgust many people are feeling is absolutely understandable." "These tests on monkeys or even humans can in no way be ethically justified," Seibert said. "They raise many critical questions for those behind these tests, and these questions must urgently be answered." He questioned the aims of the tests. "The automakers have to reduce emissions of harmful substances further and further," he said. "They should not be trying to prove the supposed harmlessness of exhaust with the help of monkeys or even humans." Seibert said that the supervisory boards of the companies concerned "have a particular responsibility." The governor of the German state of Lower Saxony, a major shareholder in Volkswagen, added his voice to calls for quick answers. Stephan Weil, who sits on VW's supervisory board, stressed that "the behavior of the company must in every respect fulfill ethical demands." He said he hadn't known about the tests. ___ This story has been corrected to show that a research group commissioned the tests, not that it carried them out. A previous version corrected the first paragraph to show that the second set of tests on humans didn't involve diesel exhaust.

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2018-01-30 02:57:00

German automakers face heat over tests on monkeys, humans

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