THSRC implements pay increase
THSRC implements pay increaseSTABLE REVENUE: Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp has also given bonuses to employees who did government disease-prevention work from February to last monthBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterTaiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) on Monday said that its pay increase plan, which was scheduled for January but still not implemented when it was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, would retroactively take effect on Aug. 1, after it hit its target revenue for two consecutive months. As the company has reached the benchmark it set for itself, THSRC chairman Chiang Yao-chung (江耀宗) announced at an incentive banquet on Monday night that the pay increase plan for all employees would retroactively take effect from Aug. 1. Aside from the pay increase, the company also gave bonuses to employees who did government disease-prevention work between February and last month. The THSRC Labor Union said it accepted the decision from the company’s management to resume the pay increase plan and appreciated that they had taken the union’s suggestions into consideration, although it would have preferred the plan to have retroactively taken effect on Jan. 1. “We hope the company will see how hard employees have worked and reward them accordingly.”
Source:Taipei Times
August 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
Ministry outlines plan to fight digital gender violence as schools to reopen
Ministry outlines plan to fight digital gender violence as schools to reopenBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Education yesterday issued five “don’ts” to help students prevent “digital gender violence” and four “dos” for responding to such events. The ministry has made “preventing digital gender violence” the theme of this year’s nationwide “friendly campus week,” which runs from Monday to Friday next week, he said. Its four “dos” for responding to cases of digital gender violence are: Do tell a teacher or parent; do save a screenshot for evidence; do call the police; and do report the other party, it said. While gender violence exists in real life and online, it “spreads faster” online, said Theresa Yeh (葉德蘭), a member of the Gender Equality Education Committee and chair of the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation. Separately at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, members of the Paper Windmill Theater Troupe (紙風車劇團) acted scenarios, which students might encounter that would be considered digital gender violence.
Source:Taipei Times
August 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
Firms at risk over US-China trade: CNFI
Firms at risk over US-China trade: CNFIBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe government should pay serious attention to escalating US-China trade tensions, which are putting local firms at risk, as the two economies account for 60 percent of Taiwan’s exports, the Taipei-based Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI, 全國工總) said yesterday. “The government must not take the trade tensions lightly, but should draw up effective, pragmatic policies to support local industries,” CNFI chairman William Wong (王文淵) told a news conference in Taipei after releasing the trade group’s annual position paper. Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI) chairman William Wong, center, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, as CNFI vice chairman Matthew Miao, left, and Pan Chun-jung, convener of its board of supervisors, look on. The pandemic is another challenge that could push many local companies out of business, especially non-tech firms whose business order and profit margins are dwindling, CNFI said. CNFI secretary-general Tsai Lien-sheng (蔡練生) said that government relief and stimulus measures are inadequate in scale and do not reach firms that are in need.
Source:Taipei Times
August 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
Retail sales surge 2.5%, ending five months of declines
General merchandise sales grew 7.2 percent year-on-year, department store sales were up 10.3 percent, supermarket sales rose 6.6 percent and convenience store sales jumped 21.3 percent, ministry data showed. “All we can say is that as of July 27, NT$4.48 billion in vouchers had been redeemed for cash from banks by vendors,” he said. People have also been dining out and buying iced drinks, with restaurant sales last month rising 1 percent year-on-year to NT$58.2 billion, the highest July figure on record. “Ideally, you want the businesses that accept the vouchers to keep them in circulation, spending them like cash again,” Wu said. “Usually about 10 million to 20 million Taiwanese travel abroad every year,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 25, 2020 15:56 UTC
Two political persecution victims exonerated
Two political persecution victims exoneratedBy Chen Yu-fu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Transitional Justice Commission yesterday exonerated Voyue Tosku (杜孝生) and Liao Li-chuan (廖麗川) — two victims of political persecution during the White Terror era — at a ceremony at the Executive Yuan. Voyue — a Tsou man who received a 17-year prison sentence in 1954 for corruption — was accused of involvement with Aboriginal leaders who were fighting for self-rule for Aborigines. Vice President William Lai, right, presents certificates of exoneration to family members of Liao Li-chuan and Voyue Tosku second — two victims of political persecution during the White Terror era — at a news in Taipei yesterday. Today’s democracy is the result of the shared experience of Taiwanese who lived through the White Terror era, he said. The men’s trials were part of the authorities’ efforts during the White Terror era to exercise control over Alishan Township and its residents, and were a violation of their constitutional rights and freedoms, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2020 15:56 UTC
Trans-border swim bladder smugglers busted
Trans-border swim bladder smugglers bustedBy Jason Pan / Staff reporter, with CNAA New Taipei City resident in his 30s was arrested earlier this month for allegedly smuggling totoaba swim bladders from Mexico to sell in China, as part of a months-long probe into an international smuggling ring that began with a tip-off from the FBI, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said yesterday. Local police and customs authorities seized 19kg of totoaba swim bladders between July 28 and Aug. 12 that had a black market price of about US$900,000, the CIB told a news conference at its office in Taipei. CIB Deputy Commissioner Liao Hsun-cheng (廖訓誠) inspected the confiscated haul, while FBI Legal Attache Office representative in Taiwan Nicolas Garcia made a rare public appearance. The trade in totoaba swim bladders has been illegal since 1976, when the giant fish, endemic to the Gulf of California in Mexico, was added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Garcia thanked the CIB and Customs Administration on behalf of the FBI and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for their efforts.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2020 15:56 UTC
Majority disagrees with Ma’s war statement: poll
The poll showed that 33.9 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, 58.3 percent disagreed and 3.7 percent had no opinion. Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation chairman Michael You, second right, speaks during a news conference in Taipei yesterday. In related news, former minister of national defense Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) accused Ma of publicly belittling the Taiwanese military and trying to force Taiwanese to accept Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula. Ma’s remarks bostering China’s image verges on “treason,” said Michael Tsai, now president of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance. Ma’s pro-China policy also led the US Department of Defense to cast doubt on the loyalty of the Taiwanese military at the time, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2020 15:56 UTC
Exposure to lead could cause artery disease: study
Exposure to lead could cause artery disease: studyBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterA National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) study has linked lead exposure in young people to increased risk of arteriosclerosis — hardening and narrowing of the arteries. NTUH Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine director Su Ta-chen (蘇大成) yesterday said that many people already know that lead exposure in childhood is linked to a lower IQ in adulthood, but their study on young people linked lead exposure to several diseases. The higher the urine lead levels were, the thicker the carotid artery intima-media were, Su said. They found that high lead exposure was also linked to higher insulin resistance and higher blood pressure, as well as higher risks of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, Su said. A possible reason for exposure to lead causing an increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis is that lead exposure can cause changes in DNA methylation within blood cells, which can cause atherosclerosis, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2020 15:56 UTC
Eight new restaurants receive Michelin stars
Eight new restaurants receive Michelin starsBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterEight restaurants in Taipei and Taichung were given one or two-star Michelin ratings for the first time, while Le Palais of the Palais de Chine Hotel retained its three-star rating for the third consecutive year in this year’s Michelin Guide. Michelin Taiwan general manager Jay Mao, left, claps at an award ceremony for Taiwanese restaurants in Taichung yesterday. Le Palais, which features baked egg custard tarts, Cantonese-style crispy roast duck and tofu dishes was awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide for a third time. “Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, gourmet enthusiasts have to undergo many restrictions when dining out,” Michelin Taiwan general manager Jay Mao (毛行健) said. “I strongly recommend that the Michelin Guide consider evaluating the culinary scenes in southern Taiwan, such as Kaohsiung and Tainan,” Lin added.
Source:Taipei Times
August 24, 2020 15:56 UTC
Cathay United signs on to China deal
Cathay United signs on to China dealBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterCathay United Bank (China) Co Ltd (國泰世華銀行中國) on Friday signed an investment agreement to acquire a 10 percent stake in a new consumer finance company in China, parent company Cathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控) said in a Taiwan Stock Exchange filing. The agreement with Ant Technology Group Co Ltd (螞蟻科技集團) to invest 800 million yuan (US$115.62 million) in the company, tentatively named Chongqing Ant Consumer Finance Ltd (重慶螞蟻消費金融), would help Cathay United Bank China deepen its operations and capture new business in consumer financing, Cathay Financial spokesman Daniel Teng (鄧崇儀) told the Taipei Times by telephone. Cathay United Bank China, Cathay Financial’s Chinese subsidiary, focuses on corporate financing, investment banking and financial transactions. Ant Technology Group would hold a 50 percent stake in the new company, with other investors to include Chinese financial, technology and medical equipment companies, according to Chinese media reports. Companies in Taiwan’s financial sector plan to invest NT$18.88 billion (US$639.74 million) in financial technology (fintech) this year to improve their online services and competitiveness, the Financial Supervisory Commission said on Thursday.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2020 15:56 UTC
F-16 repair center to start operations
In the face of China’s military buildup, cooperating with Taiwan on fighter-jet maintenance and repair would be ideal for other countries that are also friendly to the US, he said. Lockheed Martin — the US manufacturer of the aircraft — in December last year signed a strategic agreement with AIDC to promote its role as a regional repair center for the model, it said. One of the center’s advantages over those in the US would be its lower maintenance and repair rates, which could be appealing to neighboring countries, he said. KMT Legislator Charles Chen (陳以信) said the center should focus on maintaining the nation’s own aircraft, adding that plans on regional cooperation were too lofty. Singapore and South Korea were capable of repairing their own aircraft and would not risk conflict with China by cooperating with Taiwan, Chen said, adding that India would likely establish its own repair center.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2020 15:56 UTC
Budget talks likely central to next legislative session
Budget talks likely central to next legislative sessionSEEKING APPROVAL: Budget packages and draft Constitutional amendments for the abolishment of the control and examination branches are with legislatorsBy Lee Hsin-fang and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerExecutive Yuan officials on Saturday urged the Legislative Yuan to prioritize the government’s budget proposals for a special relief package, the third-phase of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program and the 2021 fiscal year in its upcoming session. The Legislative Yuan holds two regular sessions per year — the first from February to May and the second from September to December. Executive Yuan officials this month met with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus, government sources said, citing legislators as saying that the special relief package funding would probably pass a third reading in October. Police officers guard an entrance to the Legislative Yuan building in Taipei in an undated photograph. While the DPP holds 69 legislative seats, the KMT holds 35 — more than a quarter of all seats — and is capable of blocking a constitutional amendment proposal.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2020 15:56 UTC
High Court confirms CHB agreement
High Court confirms CHB agreementNOT OVER YET: The Ministry of Finance said it would again appeal the High Court’s ruling, drawing out a rights dispute that has gone through three courts since 2014By Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterTaishin Financial Holding Co (台新金控) on Friday said it welcomed a Taiwan High Court ruling confirming that the company and the Ministry of Finance have a contractual relationship regarding management rights of state-run Chang Hwa Commercial Bank (CHB, 彰化銀行). The entrance of Taishin Financial Holding Co’s headquarters in Taipei is shown in an undated photograph. It has been tried by different courts [the Taipei District Court, High Court and Supreme Court], and they have unanimously agreed that there is a continuing contractual relationship between Taishin Financial and the Ministry of Finance,” the company said. The ministry appealed to the High Court. The High Court in May 2017 ruled in favor of Taishin Financial, saying the ministry should support the company in its bid to win major control of CHB board seats and subsequent management rights.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2020 15:56 UTC
Registration to be required for green iguanas: bureau
Registration to be required for green iguanas: bureauStaff writer, with CNAGreen iguanas, along with 13 native species and other non-native species, have been added to the Forestry Bureau’s list of animals that must be officially registered if they are to be kept and bred. The iguanas are “exotic wildlife dangerous to the environment, people or animals,” the bureau said on Thursday amid growing concerns over the damage the lizards are doing to the environment when released into the wild. Green iguanas, which are indigenous to South and Central America, have become popular pets in Taiwan and other nations, but the bureau said that many people in Taiwan who find themselves unable or unwilling to care for them have abandoned them in the wild. According to the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法) an official permit is required before any of the animals on the list can be imported, sold or displayed. However, 19 species were removed from the list, as their wild populations in Taiwan have shown stable growth, including Latham’s snipe, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2020 15:56 UTC
Memorial service marks former premier’s death
Memorial service marks former premier’s deathBy Lin Liang-sheng / Staff reporterSeveral senior members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday attended a memorial service in Taipei for late former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村), who died on March 30 at the age of 100. Former president Ma Ying-jeou yesterday bows during a memorial service in Taipei to pay tribute to former premier Hau Pei-tsun, who passed away on March 30, aged 100. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei TimesMa took the opportunity to respond to comments by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). Meanwhile, former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), one of Hau Pei-tsun’s two sons, said his father had hoped not to disturb his colleagues and friends, and to allow everyone to remember him in their own way. Many elders wanted to pay their respects to Hau Pei-tsun, hence the memorial yesterday, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
August 23, 2020 15:56 UTC