Broker fined over NT$10 mil for illegally charging migrant worker fees: MOLStaff Writer, with CNAA labor broker has been fined more than NT$10 million (US$318,000) for illegally charging migrant workers job-placement fees, the highest penalty ever imposed in such a case, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) said yesterday. The broker illegally charged “multiple” migrant workers job-placement fees, over-collecting around NT$1 million in total under the guise of end-of-contract transfer or contract renewal fees, MOL official Su Yu-kuo (蘇裕國) said at a news conference in Taipei. Charging migrant workers job-placement fees, known locally as “job-buying fees,” falls outside the items permitted under the law, he said. So far this year, 10 brokers have been found to have illegally overcharged migrant workers and been fined by local governments, Su said. Urging brokers to comply with the law, Su also said migrant workers who are asked to pay job-placement fees when seeking to switch employers should call the ministry’s 1955 Hotline for advice or to file a complaint.

N Korean POWs seek ‘new life’ in SouthDEFECTING VIA UKRAINE: Two North Korean soldiers wrote that with the support of the South Korean people, ‘new dreams and aspirations have begun to take root’AFP, SEOULTwo North Korean prisoners of war (POW) held by Ukraine have said they hope to start a “new life” in South Korea, a letter seen by reporters yesterday said. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies. At least 600 have died and thousands more have sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates. North Korean soldiers are instructed to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner, according to South Korea’s intelligence service. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Ukraine not to “forcibly repatriate North Korean prisoners of war against their will” and has asked that their desire to go to the South be respected.

FSC is to update insurers’ rules to ease FX hedgingA REVAMP: Under current rules, short-term exchange-rate movements generate major volatility in reported earnings, even if they are unrealized, the FSC saidBloombergTaiwan is set to overhaul accounting rules to help life insurers ease the impact of foreign-exchange fluctuations on their financial statements, a move that is likely to save billions of dollars in currency hedging costs. Taiwanese insurers last month proposed changes to accounting rules that would allow exchange-rate fluctuations to be partially recognized over time, rather than having their full impact reflected immediately. The plan was estimated to save US$2.9 billion in annual hedging costs and reduce their reliance on offshore NT dollar forwards as a hedging tool. Insurers began reducing their currency hedging positions in the second half of the year. That underscores the high cost of hedging relative to its limited effectiveness, the FSC said.

US denies ex-EU commissioner visaAFP, WASHINGTONThe US Department of State on Tuesday said that it would deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, accusing them of seeking to “coerce” US social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. “These radical activists and weaponized NGOs [non-governmental organizations] have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states — in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” the department said in a statement announcing the sanctions. Then-European commissioner Thierry Breton attends an event at Sorbonne University in Paris on April 25 last year. The DSA stipulates that major platforms must explain content-moderation decisions, provide transparency for users and ensure researchers can carry out essential work, such as understanding how much children are exposed to dangerous content. The visa ban also targeted Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that fights online hate, misinformation and disinformation that also fell in the crosshairs of Elon Musk after his takeover of Twitter, later renamed X.

US slams China policies on chips, but would delay imposing tariffs to 2027AFP, WASHINGTONUS trade officials determined that China should be penalized for employing unfair tactics to dominate the semiconductor industry, but would wait 18 months to impose tariffs, US authorities said on Tuesday. A central processing unit is displayed among miniature flags of the US and China in an illustration photograph taken on Feb. 17, 2023. “We urge the United States to quickly correct its erroneous practices,” Lin told a regular news briefing. USTR officials launched the probe in December last year in the final weeks of then-US president Joe Biden’s term, extending the initiative when US President Donald Trump took office in January. The White House has jousted with Beijing, but reached a broad truce with China after a major escalation in the spring.

How Trump is exerting control in Latin AmericaTrump’s interference in the region has been aided by the collapse of the leftist forces that once pushed back against US imperialismBy Jordana Timerman / The GuardianFor the past generation, Latin America has been a place of unstable stability. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summit with the EU last month avoided condemning the US strikes. Anti-imperialism once formed the common political grammar of the Latin American left. In a recent Bloomberg/Atlas poll, 53 percent of Latin American respondents said they would support US military intervention to remove Maduro. She compiles the “Latin America Daily Briefing” and is part of the “Ideas Letter” editorial team.

Book review: Taiwan in 50 bike routesAside from a few minor errors, this guide is comprehensive and even inspirationalBy Steven Crook / Contributing reporterIt’s surprising, given how many foreign velocipedists say they’ve been profoundly inspired by Taiwan, that so few cycling-focused English-language books about the country have appeared. Compiled by a couple from that great cycling nation, the Netherlands, this guide describes 50 numbered routes around the country. A Cyclist’s Guide to Taiwan: Pedalling Across Paradise, by Viola & Erik van Onselen. The Tourism Bureau has been upgraded to the Tourism Administration, and the Central Weather Bureau likewise promoted to Central Weather Administration. A Cyclist’s Guide to Taiwan is available at several bike stores around the country and can be ordered online.

Japan bear crisis sparks culinary crazeAFP, CHICHIBU, JapanSince Japan recorded a spike in deadly bear attacks, Koji Suzuki has struggled to keep up with booming demand for grilled cuts of the animal at his restaurant. A restaurant worker grills fish over a hearth at a restaurant that offers bear meat in Chichibu, Japan, on Dec. 12. People eat bear meat hot pot at a restaurant in Chichibu, Japan, on Dec. 12. However, much of the bear meat still goes to waste, partly due to a shortage of government-approved processing facilities. “Bear meat is a tourism resource for us,” he said.

Waymo to update software after jam amid power lossReuters, WASHINGTONWaymo on Tuesday said that it would update software used to operate its self-driving vehicles and improve its emergency response protocols after its robotaxis stalled in parts of San Francisco on Saturday due to a widespread power outage that snarled traffic and gridlocked parts of the city. Videos posted on social media showed Waymo robotaxis stuck at intersections with their hazard lights on as traffic lights stopped working due to the outage. A Waymo autonomous taxi navigates in San Francisco on Wednesday last week. Waymo is implementing fleet-wide updates that provide vehicles with “specific power outage context, allowing it to navigate more decisively.”Waymo also said it would improve its emergency response protocols by incorporating lessons from this event. On Monday, the California Public Utilities Commission said that it was reviewing the issue of stalled Waymo vehicles.

Prosecutors appeal Mickey Huang suspended sentenceStaff writer, with CNAThe High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday appealed the sentence handed down last month to former television personality Mickey Huang (黃子佼) for purchasing child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors argued that Huang’s actions seriously harmed the physical and mental development of children and teenagers, and therefore he should not receive a suspended sentence. Television personality Mickey Huang arrives at the High Administrative Court on Oct. 21. Photo: CNAGranting a suspended sentence on the grounds that he had reached settlements with the victims and paid compensation was an incorrect application of the law, they said. However, considering Huang had no previous criminal record and reached settlements with the victims, the court granted him a suspended sentence, and required him to perform 180 hours of community service and attend three legal education sessions.

CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) on Tuesday said flu activity remained at a relatively low level last week, which is “rare” for this time of the year, although there were 16 severe flu cases and six flu-related deaths confirmed last week. Among the 16 severe cases, 13 were unvaccinated in this flu season (beginning on Oct. 1), and among the six deaths, all had chronic illnesses and five were unvaccinated in this flu season, Lee said. Globally, flu activity is rising, with nearby countries, including China, Japan and South Korea, at high levels, and rising activity reported in Europe, the US and Canada, she added. As of Monday, 6.547 million doses of government-funded flu vaccines had been administered this flu season, and there were only about 280,000 doses remaining, so eligible recipients are advised to get vaccinated as early as possible before they run out, he said. As seasonal flu activity usually peaks around the Lunar New Year holidays in Taiwan, he said the centers expect flu cases in the holidays in February to be lower than previous years.

Donovan’s Deep Dives: The battle over the constitution veers sharply into the farcicalThe current legislative speaker lacks the gravitas to force the main parties to negotiate. The Constitutional Court hears oral arguments on the constitutionality of changes to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act at the court in Taipei on May 12. Again, the Constitutional Court was out of action. The KMT caucus yesterday proposed amendments that would allow rulings of the Constitutional Court to be overturned by a public referendum. This requires half of lawmakers to propose, two-thirds of lawmakers to approve and then it would proceed to — you guessed it — the Constitutional Court.

Impeachment is not just a sloganBy John ChengThe public debate surrounding the impeachment campaign against President William Lai (賴清德) has been framed as a clash of political wills: a defiant president versus an aggrieved legislature. This is why the Executive Yuan refused to countersign the measure. Huang, in particular, is well aware that impeachment was designed for clear, egregious abuses of power, not policy disputes manufactured by forcing the Executive Yuan into an unconstitutional corner. A future legislature would learn that it can force the Executive Yuan into an impossible choice: Contravene the Constitution or be accused of doing so. Whether you voted for him or not, Lai is still the president, and impeachment is the most serious step a democracy can take against its own leader.

Industrial production surges 16.42%MORE GROWTH: The manufacturing production index is this month expected to rise up to 16.8 percent, with full-year growth potentially hitting a new high, an official saidBy Meryl Kao / Staff reporterThe industrial production index rose 16.42 percent year-on-year to 119.31 last month, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications that boosted output of information and communications technology and electronics products, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. The manufacturing production index, which comprises 94.63 percent of the industrial production index, increased 17.35 percent to 120.84 last month, recording the 21st consecutive month of annual growth and exceeding the ministry’s forecast of 113.9 to 117.9, it said. In the first 11 months of this year, the industrial and manufacturing production indices rose 16.25 percent and 17.38 percent respectively from the same period last year, ministry data showed. While production momentum for information and electronic products is expected to remain strong this month, traditional industries continue to face intense overseas competition and weak demand, Chen said. The ministry forecast the manufacturing production index in the fourth quarter to rise 15.1 percent to 16.4 percent year-on-year to between 119.91 and 121.25, she said.

Limits of Taiwan’s governance being testedBy Yeh Chieh-ting 葉介庭The limits of Taiwan’s Constitution are being severely tested. After decades of rule under Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his son, Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), the president came to be seen as the highest seat of political power. As the president became directly elected in 1996, Taiwan contended with how to divide power and accountability between the president, the premier and the legislature. Taiwan’s constitutional crises are testing the edges of the system. He is an adviser to the International Taiwan Studies Center at National Taiwan Normal University and is the founder of Ketagalan Media.