Labor rights groups rally over Indian worker deal
Labor rights groups rally over Indian worker dealDETAILS UNDISCLOSED: Taiwan should establish a government-to-government recruitment system and renounce the labor brokerage system, a legislator saidStaff writer, with CNAA coalition of labor rights advocacy groups on Friday rallied outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, demanding a substantive review of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on sending Indian workers to Taiwan. After Bloomberg last year reported that Taiwan could recruit up to 100,000 Indian workers, there was a backlash, indicating differing opinions on the matter, which would impact local and migrant workers, Taiwan International Workers’ Association member Hsu Wei-tung (許惟棟) said at the rally. Labor rights groups hold a demonstration outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Friday. Hsu urged the government to adopt South Korea’s recruitment model, which enables migrant workers’ home countries to share information on migrant workers with overseas offices set up by the South Korean government. The ministry said Taiwan’s existing recruitment channels include a G2G model, and the specifics about the recruitment of Indian workers would be ironed out with the Indian government, local Chinese-language media reported.
Source:Taipei Times
March 09, 2024 18:43 UTC
South Korea arms exports keep rising as Ukraine war goes on
That is helping South Korean suppliers, including Hanwha Aerospace Co, which makes land-based artillery for a growing list of European customers. Illustration: Constance ChouRomania, shaken by Russia’s attack on its northern neighbor, might be next in line to buy artillery from South Korea. Its backlog of export orders jumped 10-fold from 1.7 trillion won in 2021 to 20 trillion won at the end of last year, a February financial presentation showed. South Korean law prohibits arms sales to a conflict zone. Yet a global shortage of ammunition-production capacity, and no sign of a let-up in the Ukraine war, makes it likely South Korea would be called upon to help meet demand.
Source:Taipei Times
March 09, 2024 17:46 UTC
Taiwan’s Wang stuns world No. 1
Taiwan’s Wang stuns world No. 1IF AT FIRST: Wang Tzu-wei was grateful to have finally defeated Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen after losing to him all six times the two had previously played each otherStaff writer, with CNATaiwan’s Wang Tzu-wei on Thursday upset world No. Taiwan’s Wang Tzu-wei returns to fellow countryman Lin Chun-yi in their Taipei Open men’s singles match at the Tianmu Arena on June 23 last year. The Thai won last year’s BWF World Championships in Copenhagen and has won all five of his career matches against Wang. Aside from Wang, Taiwanese ace Tai Tzu-ying and the men’s doubles duo Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan also advanced to the quarter-finals.
Source:Taipei Times
March 08, 2024 21:44 UTC
Groups show support for medical fee cap removal
Groups show support for medical fee cap removalSELF-REGULATED: While five medical groups touted the decision to remove a cap on registration fees at medical institutions, some civil groups criticized itBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNAFive major medical groups on Thursday supported the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s decision on Monday to repeal government-imposed limits on medical institutions’ registration fees, and urged etablishments to maintain self-discipline. The groups’ support came following public concern that seeing doctors would be more expensive if medical institutions jointly raise registration fees. Removing the limits would encourage the dynamic development of the medical industry and enhance competitiveness by allowing the market to determine prices, the Taiwan Medical Association said. Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei TimesReference rates for registration fees were not adjusted for inflation, it said. Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation secretary-general Lin Ya-hui (林雅惠) said the foundation opposed the outright removal of registration fee ceilings.
Source:Taipei Times
March 08, 2024 17:12 UTC
The era of duty-free fashion imports from China might be over
The company, which was founded in China and sells clothing manufactured there, is now the top fast fashion retailer in the US. But the de minimis rule also has powerful defenders. EXPORTSChina’s exports grew only 0.6 percent last year, but the bright spot was cross-border e-commerce, which includes but is not limited to the de minimis packages. It is unclear how much fentanyl and other illicit drugs might be slipping undetected into the country in small packages. On a recent Friday morning at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, small parcels that had arrived by mail from overseas were on conveyor belts going through X-ray machines for inspection.
Source:Taipei Times
March 08, 2024 17:07 UTC
Insect farming could be the future of the meat industry
Insect farming could be the future of the meat industryInsects offer farmers an appetizing, cheaper alternative for their animals to traditional animal feedBy David Fickling / Bloomberg OpinionNo dystopian picture of a climate-ruined planet is complete until you have been put off your lunch. It Is hardly surprising, then, if we are regularly promised a future of Blade Runner-style protein farms, where insect larvae are bred en masse for human consumption. If anything, the most likely future for insect farming is one where it accelerates humanity’s growing appetite for poultry and mammal flesh, rather than reducing it. Indeed, insect farming would be having a much easier time of things right now if previous attempts to solve the protein deficit had not led to disaster. Horrible food is such a sci-fi staple because people are fussy eaters — one reason that insect farming so far is mostly serving the needs of grub-eating pets, as Bloomberg News reported last month.
Source:Taipei Times
March 08, 2024 17:06 UTC
Farmers and police clash in Poland
People protest against EU climate measures and Ukrainian imports in Warsaw on Wednesday. Photo: AFPFarmers are angry over EU climate policies and food imports from Ukraine that they say threaten their livelihoods. Farmers on tractors blocked highways leading into Warsaw while thousands of people gathered in front of the prime minister’s office before marching to the parliament. Polish farmers in tractors block a road near Warsaw on Wednesday. The protesters also want the border with Ukraine closed to stop the imports of Ukrainian food products, which farmers say drive down market prices and put Poland’s agricultural sector in jeopardy.
Source:Taipei Times
March 07, 2024 21:45 UTC
TPP and the era of ‘influencer-politicians’
TPP and the era of ‘influencer-politicians’By Chang Yueh-han 張約翰Nearly two months have passed since the presidential and legislative elections. Viewers’ attention has shifted away from more traditional media like newspapers and television to social media platforms. In the early days of the social media, given their lack of experience in politics, these “influencer-politicians” seem to project a “fresh” image, attracting Internet traffic. What I am saying is that the two groups share similar temperaments, capabilities and methods for attracting Internet traffic. Some want to turn traffic into profit, while others want to impart knowledge or raise awareness.
Source:Taipei Times
March 07, 2024 17:27 UTC
KMT says penalties for contempt of the legislature needed
KMT says penalties for contempt of the legislature neededBy Lin Hsin-han, Hsieh Chun-lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writersContempt of legislature and giving false testimony during a legislative inquiry should be punishable offenses, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said on Monday. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators attend a news conference at the legislature in Taipei on Monday. False statements and other actions would be deemed to be contempt of the Legislative Yuan, the proposed amendments say. New presidents should deliver a report within two weeks of their inauguration and appear before the Legislative Yuan within a month, it said. Reforms should not expand legislative power, as the public would not stand for it, Wu said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 06, 2024 18:41 UTC
Lithuania a national security example
Lithuania a national security exampleBy Chen Yung-chang 陳永昌Late last year it came to light that two of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s children have Lithuanian citizenship, which could allow him to use their status to transfer assets and evade international sanctions. In prioritizing its national security, Lithuania has demonstrated its determination to maintain strict controls. Abramovich’s paternal grandparents were Belarusian Jews who moved to Lithuania, but were forcibly transferred to Siberia in 1940, during World War II. That Abramovich’s children hold Lithuanian passports amounts to a loophole in the economic sanctions against him. By staunchly defending its national security and interests and strictly controlling its system of naturalization and residence, Lithuania has set a good example for other countries.
Source:Taipei Times
March 06, 2024 16:57 UTC
Benefits of working with Japan on space
Second, in addition to passing the Basic Space Act in 2008, Japan has also passed the Space Activities Act and the Satellite Telemetry Act since 2016. Japan passed the Space Resources Act in 2021, allowing private-sector entities to participate in space exploration and obtain corporate development rights. Given the vast resources in space, Japan has begun to release some of its government-owned technologies and licenses to create business opportunities through public-private cooperation. The systemic changes would give Japan a more flexible approach to pursue national interests and stimulate the private sector to develop space industries, which can be a reference for Taiwan’s space development. Taipei can also extend exchanges with Japan through “space diplomacy” — increasing dialogue on the economy, trade, security and technology.
Source:Taipei Times
March 05, 2024 21:48 UTC
Bafang Yunji backtracks on denial of tainted chili powder
Bafang Yunji backtracks on denial of tainted chili powderStaff writerThe Kaohsiung Department of Health on Tuesday said it ordered the dumpling chain Bafang Yunji (八方雲集) to recall all chili powder, after it was found to be a recipient of spices potentially tainted with the carcinogenic dye Sudan III. As explanation, it said it uses coarse chili powder, which is different from the fine chili powder tested by the department. Chili powder with the label “not up to standard” is pictured on Tuesday. Afterward, Bafang Yunji in a statement said it would cooperate with the investigation and stop using any ingredients purchased from the importers. The chili powder it uses is all tested by SGS for traces of Sudan III and other banned chemicals before it is shipped to factories, the company added.
Source:Taipei Times
March 05, 2024 16:23 UTC
Four Filipinos injured in China, Philippine S China Sea standoff
Four Filipinos injured in China, Philippine S China Sea standoffAP, MANILAChinese and Philippine coast guard vessels yesterday collided in the disputed South China Sea and four Filipino crewmembers were injured in high-seas confrontations. The BRP Sindangan of the Philippine Coast Guard had minor structural damage from the collision that happened shortly after dawn. Over an hour later, another Chinese coast guard ship first blocked then collided with a supply boat the Philippine coast guard was escorting, the Philippine officials said. Photo: AFP / Philippine Coast GuardThe supply boat, crewed by Filipino navy personnel, was later hit by water cannon blasts from two Chinese coast guard ships. A Chinese coast guard spokesperson said a Philippine ship deliberately rammed a Chinese coast guard vessel, causing a minor scratch.
Source:Taipei Times
March 05, 2024 16:12 UTC
TSMC’s expansion win for Taiwan
TSMC’s expansion win for TaiwanBy Paul Lin 林保華Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) held an opening ceremony for its first chip manufacturing fab in Kumamoto, Japan. It is owned by a joint venture, Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc (JASM), of which TSMC is the controlling shareholder. A Japanese emergency, therefore, should also be considered a Taiwanese emergency. The decline of the semiconductor industry in Japan is a Japanese emergency, hence it is only natural that TSMC helps Japan reinvigorate its semiconductor manufacturing. In the late 1980s, Japan’s thriving semiconductor manufacturing sector was disrupted by US government policy.
Source:Taipei Times
March 04, 2024 21:48 UTC
Living in the Vaal Triangle: The most polluted place on Earth
Living in the Vaal Triangle: The most polluted place on EarthThe region of South Africa regularly registers the highest levels of harmful particulate emissions on the planetBy Antony Sguazzin / BloombergJust southeast of Johannesburg, in a South African region known as the Vaal Triangle, 1.7 million people are living in a crossfire of some of the most dangerous pollution on Earth. Illustration: YushaThe toxins are causing hundreds of premature deaths every year across the Vaal Triangle and respiratory disease for many of those still breathing. In the mid-2000s, it declared the area as the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area, the first zone in which it would make a concentrated effort to lower air pollution. It slashed particulate emissions by 87 percent since 2007 by suppressing dust and replacing old coal-burning equipment, ArcelorMittal said. In an area of the world as polluted as the Vaal Triangle, it could be difficult to see any positive changes on the horizon.
Source:Taipei Times
March 04, 2024 16:44 UTC