Read News 2020.04.18: Global Focus Topics and Events

April 18, 2020 (ROC Year 109) — a daily roundup of trending global news topics, covering technology, lifestyle, travel, transportation, industry and finance, business, corporations, stocks, foreign exchange markets, investment, real estate, automobiles, breaking news, sports, entertainment gossip, art, design, politics, society, Taiwan, mainland China, cross-strait relations, weather, natural disasters, current affairs, and more.

The “Read News” section collects the headline events and brief summaries of the most important key news from around the world that deserve your attention in recent days, tracing the currents of society through the flow of news events listed quickly one after another.

Global Focus Topics for April 18, 2020

• International and Social Focus
• Technology and Information
• Business and Investment
• Science and Health
• Travel and Leisure

International and Social Focus

As COVID-19 ravages the world, which countries have proper epidemic prevention measures that put people at ease? A research report released by the London-based British think tank Deep Knowledge Group ranked Israel first, Germany second, and the People’s Republic of China fifth, ahead of the Taiwan region at seventh, among safe countries. In response, Chen Shih-chung, commander of the Central Epidemic Command Center of the Republic of China, admitted that he was “startled” the first time he saw such a result.

The government boasts of its “mask national team,” but the military, the main labor force of the national team, is itself severely short of masks; before this Tuesday, the entire military was allocated only 17,000 masks per day. Amid unanimous complaints from legislators of both the ruling and opposition parties, the epidemic command center began allocating 47,500 masks per day starting this Tuesday, but that is still less than 30% of total military personnel.

A woman entered the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station on the 5th without a mask, ignored advice, and forcibly boarded a train. Taipei Metro subsequently reported the passenger’s information to the health authorities, and a fine of NT$3,000 to NT$15,000 was imposed under the Communicable Disease Control Act.

Cases 384 and 393, confirmed in Taiwan recently, are a couple who lived in the U.S. for 30 years. Because both had already shown symptoms while in the U.S., the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office of Taiwan Province, Republic of China, activated a “epidemic prevention task force” on the 16th to clarify whether the case involves criminal liability or violates administrative regulations. Once confirmed, the maximum penalty is imprisonment of less than 2 years, or a fine of NT$200,000 to NT$2 million.

In response to the impact of the epidemic, the Ministry of Labor has planned a three-month NT$30,000 relief subsidy for self-employed workers, to be applied for and distributed through occupational unions. Tomorrow (the 18th), the Ministry of Labor will publish the relevant details on the “Epidemic Prevention Zone” of its official website for inquiries and downloads.

Technology and Information

Apple’s second-generation iPhone SE made a surprise appearance on Apple’s official website on the 16th. Its ultra-low price of NT$14,500 makes it the “cheapest Apple phone” in history, a boon for many consumers who want an iPhone but find it too expensive.

Facebook’s Libra coin is a cross-sovereign synthetic global currency that has been questioned as potentially subverting the global financial system. Libra head David Marcus released a new version of the Libra white paper today, which will directly issue virtual currencies pegged 1:1 to local fiat currencies.

In response to the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan earlier announced the “Play At Home” initiative, which includes offering free games for PlayStation players to enjoy at home, and establishing a US$10 million fund to assist small independent game studios facing financial difficulties.

Business and Investment

Domestic investment trusts, carrying the mission of a Taiwan stock rebound, have been net buyers of Taiwan stocks for 11 consecutive days, and the style of stocks they have bought is completely different from the past; this time the firepower is concentrated on large-cap heavyweight stocks, standing on the same side as the government’s support of the Taiwan stock market. Statistics show that investment trusts favor stocks such as CTBC Financial Holding (2891), Unimicron (3037), and Yulon (2201).

The historic production cut agreement of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its oil-producing allies (OPEC+) is about to take effect on May 1. However, after China reported negative GDP growth for the first quarter, West Texas crude oil futures plunged 12% on Friday, falling below the US$18 per barrel mark to a low of US$17.53 per barrel, continuing to hit a new low since 2002.

As the COVID-19 epidemic continues, the Ministry of Labor released the latest statistics yesterday (the 16th) on reduced working hours and rest (commonly known as unpaid leave). Local reports of unpaid leave due to economic conditions surged to 588 companies and 14,821 people, a surge of 220 companies and 6,262 people in just one week, with the number of people on unpaid leave rising sharply in both the service and manufacturing sectors.

Science and Health

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je went to the Taipei City Council this afternoon to deliver an administrative report. Taipei City Councilor Lo Chih-chiang asked whether it should now be called Wuhan pneumonia or COVID-19. Ko Wen-je replied that it should now be called COVID-19, which is the WHO’s standard name, and added that one should not deliberately say others’ “Wuhan pneumonia” but should use the international standard name.

Dense stars are often found around black holes, and S2 observed this time is the one closest to a black hole. For the first time, astronomers have observed a star dancing around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way in a rosette-shaped orbit. S2 will…