Virus Outbreak: Taipei urges people to support disabled through workshops
Virus Outbreak: Taipei urges people to support disabled through workshopsCHANGING LIFESTYLES: Postponed weddings and teleconferencing have led to reduced sales of cakes and lunchboxes made by the sheltered workshopsBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Taipei City Government yesterday encouraged people to buy from the city’s sheltered workshops, which have suffered significant revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to support people with disabilities. Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang, seated, samples lemon cake during a news conference at Taipei City Hall yesterday encouraging consumers to buy products and services from sheltered workshops. As no new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Taiwan in the past several days, the department urged residents and businesses to support workers at sheltered workshops by purchasing their services or products. The workshops now have two promotional vehicles to take products to businesses for workers to make purchases, it said. Huang said that she always buys birthday cakes from the workshops, as the sales not only support their workers, but are also an expression of recognition that helps them feel honored.
Source:Taipei Times
May 27, 2020 15:56 UTC
Lawmakers urge ministries to sign more legal assistance agreements
Lawmakers urge ministries to sign more legal assistance agreementsSHORTCOMING: The nation has signed pacts with other nations that cover either criminal or civil matters, but the issues often overlap, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu saidBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterLawmakers yesterday urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Justice to sign mutual legal assistance pacts with more nations, as Taiwan has signed such agreements with only six countries. It has also inked agreements on the transfer of sentenced criminals with Eswatini, Denmark, the UK and Germany, he said. Legal cooperation pacts should cover criminal and civil affairs, as many legal disputes span both areas, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said, asking why the treaties only involved one of the areas. The government would strive to make its legal pacts with other countries encompass more areas, Vice Minister of Justice Chang Tou-hui (張斗輝) said. Asked by Wang why there is no legal assistance agreement with Japan, Liang said the Japanese government is considering certain matters about an agreement, while the government is working to negotiate with Tokyo over related issues.
Source:Taipei Times
May 27, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Grand Mosque confirms no Eid al-Fitr celebrations
Virus Outbreak: Grand Mosque confirms no Eid al-Fitr celebrationsBy Shen Pei-yao and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taipei Grand Mosque yesterday said its earlier decision to cancel Eid al-Fitr celebrations on Sunday to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan would stand, even though there have been no new domestic cases of COVID-19 in more than a month. The Ministry of Labor had asked all mosques to suspend Eid al-Fitr celebrations and prayers this year, due to COVID-19 concerns, and encouraged Muslims to pray at home. Indonesian entertainer Fildan Rahayu sings at an Eid al-Fitr event in Daan Forest Park in Taipei on June 9 last year. Eid al-Fitr is usually celebrated for three days and the Taipei Grand Mosque has long been the go-to location for Muslims in Taiwan. It usually sees between 700 and 800 people praying during Eid al-Fitr, mosque director-general Wang Meng-lung (王夢龍) said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Momo says new unit to speed up deliveries
Momo says new unit to speed up deliveriesBy Natasha Li / Staff reporterTV and online retailer Momo.com Inc (富邦媒體) yesterday said it has set up a new logistics subsidiary, Fu Sheng Logistics Co (富昇物流), to oversee the company’s extensive shipping operations. Packing boxes are pictured in front of a delivery van and scooters operated by TV and online retailer Momo.com in Taipei yesterday. Taipei-based consumers that shop on Momo’s e-commerce platform already enjoy this service, Momo president Lin Chi-feng (林啟峰) said earlier this year. To improve shipping efficiency, the company has combined data analysis with digital mapping systems that help track items and ensure deliveries, it said. Momo shares climbed 4.18 percent to close at NT$548 yesterday in Taipei trading, outpacing the TAIEX’s 0.92 percent rise.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Top Kaohsiung official faces probe
Top Kaohsiung official faces probeKAOHSIUNG VOTE: A city official allegedly wrote a message calling on supporters of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu not to participate in the vote next monthBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterProsecutors on Wednesday initiated an investigation of Kaohsiung Civil Affairs Bureau Director-General Tsao Huan-jung (曹桓榮) for allegedly telling supporters of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to interfere with a recall vote against Han, while pan-green politicians denounced the mayor and his team for devising ways to obstruct voting. After receiving complaints from residents, the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office launched its probe of Tsao for alleged breaches of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法). Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, second right, dances with staff members and residents at a care facility in Kaohsiung yesterday. Plans were made at the banquet for gang members and Han supporters to obstruct the recall vote by lining up at polling stations, where they would try to delay and disrupt the process, sources said. They urged Kaohsiung residents to not give in to intimidation, and to wear masks and hats while voting.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Halt of speeding system mooted
The system, a “point-to-point” speed measurement, calculates average speed using the times at which a vehicle passes two recording devices and the distance between the devices. However, the Changhua County Police Department last month canceled 3,627 speeding tickets issued on a section of the Sibin Expressway (Highway No. Police issued 94,984 tickets from July 2018 to March using data from average speed control system, less than 3 percent of the tickets issued during that period, Lee said. The lack of certification standards has invalidated tickets issued through the system, Kao said. The National Policy Agency said that average speed control systems have reduced speeding cases in New Taipei City by 90 percent.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
KMT criticizes Tsai’s speech for neglecting workers
KMT criticizes Tsai’s speech for neglecting workersBy Sherry Hsiao and Wu Su-wei / Staff reportersThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday criticized the lack of labor policies in President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inaugural address on Wednesday, while an environmental group called for faster changes to the Mining Act (礦業法). Tsai has said that she has a soft spot for workers, but she did not mention labor issues in her speech, KMT Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang (王育敏) said. Wang accused Tsai of failing to achieve the promises and policies that she presented to workers four years ago. Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) said that it is concerning that Tsai’s speech ignored environmental sustainability, Aborigines and transitional justice — topics related to the proposed changes to the act.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Page has turned on ‘1992 consensus’: MAC
Page has turned on ‘1992 consensus’: MACUNDERMINING RELATIONS: Both sides of the Strait must foster the stable environment needed for virus recovery, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong saidStaff writer, with CNA“A page in history has already been turned” on the issue of the so-called “1992 consensus” in cross-strait relations, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said yesterday at a legislative committee meeting, when commenting on China’s response to President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inaugural address the previous day. In her first inaugural address, on May 20, 2016, Tsai said that she respected the historic fact that a cross-strait meeting in 1992 reached a shared understanding that sought common ground while retaining differences. Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong gestures as he speaks to lawmakers at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. However, Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party government has undermined cross-strait relations by refusing to recognize the “1992 consensus,” Ma added. Commenting on Ma’s statement at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee, Chen said that “a page in history has already been turned,” so there is no longer any need to discuss the “1992 consensus” further.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2020 15:56 UTC
Export orders rise on ICT, electronics
Export orders rise on ICT, electronicsMILESTONES: In addition to unexpected growth, orders for ICT products surged to a record-high US$12.49 billion, as did combined orders from the US and EuropeBy Natasha Li / Staff reporterExport orders last month again defied expectations by increasing 2.3 percent year-on-year to US$38.53 billion amid robust demand for information and communications technology (ICT) products and electronics, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. The ministry in March had forecast a 6.37 to 10.34 percent annual decline in export orders for last month. Demand due to teleworking and distance learning last month continued to buoy orders for ICT products, while orders for electronics rose at a similar pace, increasing 16.2 percent to US$11.29 billion, the data showed. Export orders for traditional goods last month also plummeted, with orders for chemical products; rubber and plastic products; base metal products; and machinery equipment recording double-digit percentage declines from a year earlier, the data showed. Based on the ministry’s latest survey of local firms, export orders this month are expected to either decline 1.9 percent year-on-year or increase 2 percent to between US$38 billion and US$39.5 billion.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
Presidential Inauguration: Ko congratulates, criticizes Tsai on her second term
Presidential Inauguration: Ko congratulates, criticizes Tsai on her second termBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has done well in disease prevention, but has vacillated on its cross-strait policies, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday. On the first day of Tsai’s second term as president, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) extends its congratulations and hopes that the nation can continue improving, said Ko, who is chairman of the party. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, third right, chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), and party members hold hands at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Tsai has a duty to deal with these issues in her second term, he said. “Through the election, Taiwanese gave President Tsai another chance to lead, so the TPP hopes that she will not let the people down,” Ko said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
China’s iQiyi is illegal in Taiwan, NCC says
China’s iQiyi is illegal in Taiwan, NCC saysBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterChinese over-the-top (OTT) service provider iQiyi cannot register as a provider in Taiwan after the Mainland Affairs Council declared it to be an illegal service, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday. Both iQiyi and WeTV were deemed to be illegal Chinese OTT operators in an interdepartmental meeting on Friday last week, officials said, adding that this prohibits them from marketing their services in Taiwan or seeking subscribers. The government plans to block a local server that iQiyi has been using to transmit content to domestic audiences, which would disrupt its content transmission. National Communications Commission spokesman Hsiao Chi-hung speaks at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee in Taipei on March 16. A commission draft act on OTT TV services would require all legal OTT operators to register with the commission, although iQiyi is no longer a legal operator, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
CTFA bullish as TFPL viewing figures increase
CTFA bullish as TFPL viewing figures increaseBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterGlobal interest in the Taiwan Football Premier League (TFPL) amid global COVID-19 lockdowns that have left soccer fans bereft of live action is good news for the league and Taiwanese players, CTFA general secretary Fang Ching-jen says. Because of these effective policies and actions, it was possible for Taiwan’s top soccer leagues, both men’s and women’s, to start the season on time. We are delighted that the international community is taking more of an interest in Taiwan, and also in our soccer leagues,” Fang said. “This will have a positive effect, as Taiwanese players in the TFPL have a higher global exposure. We want to thank the fans in these nations for their support and continued interest in Taiwanese soccer,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
Presidential Inauguration: Coalition calls for drafting new constitution
Presidential Inauguration: Coalition calls for drafting new constitutionBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterA coalition of civic groups yesterday called for the drafting of a new constitution to reflect the current political reality, as President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) held a low-key inauguration ceremony to mark the start of her second term in office. “We need to draft a new constitution, and through the process, Taiwanese can create a new republic,” Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) told a media briefing in Taipei. Members of several civic groups hold signs at a news conference in Taipei yesterday as they urged the government to draft a new constitution for the nation. Its constitutional framework was based on China’s overall population and territories, which consisted of 35 provinces at the time. Also joining the call for a new consitution were the Taiwan Citizen Front Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy; the Taiwan Association of University Professors; the National Students’ Union of Taiwan; Taiwan Democracy Watch; Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan, Taiwan; the Association for Human Rights; and the Taiwan Labor Front.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
Justice warriors or meddling busybodies?
Justice warriors or meddling busybodies? Photo: CNAUsually they are called “professional” informers (檢舉達人), but Su, who would often scream at the violators and make a scene, gained such infamy that she earned her special moniker. What’s wrong with that?” the operator of a Facebook group dedicated to reporting traffic violations tells the Taipei Times. After one professional informer was doxxed last year, he began receiving threatening phone calls. Both the police and politicians have been calling for a cap on the number of reported violations.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2020 15:56 UTC
Presidential Inauguration: KMT monitoring Tsai’s promises in her address
Presidential Inauguration: KMT monitoring Tsai’s promises in her addressBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will continue to supervise President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration in its role as the opposition party, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday, after Tsai was sworn in for a second term in Taipei. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang, right, yesterday sews a stuffed toy to be given out by a charity in Taipei. Photo: Ou Su-mei, Taipei TimesChiang said Tsai has “bounced the check” on nearly all the promises she made in front of the Presidential Office Building four years ago during her first inaugural address. A survey released by the KMT Culture and Communications Committee on Tuesday is a testament to people’s dissatisfaction, he said. Tsai’s inaugural address was mainly a repetition of what she said at her first inauguration, KMT Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang said in a statement.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2020 15:56 UTC