4 members of family die after being trapped by burglar bars in Pingtung, Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/15
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Four family members perished in a fire on Thursday morning (Nov. 14) because they were unable to escape due to the extensive burglar bars installed on their home, while two children on the illegally built third floor were rescued when firefighters were able to break through the bars in time.

At 5:40 a.m. on Thursday morning, the Pingtung Country Fire Bureau received a report of a fire in a three-story house on Funing Road in Neipu Township. When firefighters arrived on the scene at 5:51 a.m., they saw smoke billowing out of the first floor and could hear the screams of two children trapped on the third floor, which had been illegally constructed with sheet metal, reported UDN.

Firefighters found that the two girls, aged 11 and 14, were trapped behind the burglar bars of a window. The firemen raised a ladder to the third floor, cut through the burglar bars, and successfully brought the girls to safety, reported CNA.

However, the children's father, a 46-year-old man surnamed Lee (李), his 78-year-old father, 73-year-old mother, and 9-year-old daughter all perished. After fire crews extinguished the blaze at 6:04 a.m., they found the bodies of the elderly couple on the first floor.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/15
By: Wang Yang-yu and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Nov. 15 (CNA) Employers who discriminate against employees or job applicants because of

their age will soon be subject to fines after a bill aimed at boosting the employment of older workers passed the Legislative Yuan on Friday.

Under the legislation, which extends protections to a large and growing segment of Taiwan's population, employers found guilty of age discrimination would be fined between NT$300,000 (US$9,826) and NT$1.5 million.

The bill prohibits treating middle-aged and elderly job applicants and employees differently than others when recruiting or hiring workers, allocating jobs, or evaluating employee performance, or when considering promotions, salary and benefits, retirement issues or dismissal.

Middle-aged workers are defined as those aged 45-65 and elderly workers are those over 65.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 14 November, 2019
By: Paula Chao

James Soong is shaking up the presidential race by running for a 4th time… and he’s says it’s going to be his last. What’s his motivation? Also, women top the lists of legislators-at-large for almost every party. This week’s Taiwan Insider serves up an explainer on legislators-at-large, and a look at the latest election stories.

Plus:

When will pets outnumber children in Taiwan? 

Guess what global celebrity shed some blood recently, on Who in Taiwan!   [FULL  STORY]

The KMT's party list nominations for 2020 election are godawful and embarrassing.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/11/14
By: Louis Lo

The Kuomintang (KMT) announced its party list nominees yesterday, with quite a few surprises. If we examine the nominations closely, we can find endless flaws.

I’m not going to focus on how the list borders on a communist representation, but only on how poorly constructed it is.

A party list can be split into three categories with different purposes:

1. Safe seats: To appease local factions, build momentum for the party, and reward people who have done favors for the party.
2. Marginal seats: To include influential faction members and quality candidates who appeal to the voters.
3. Promotional seats: To give new candidates more exposure.

In the recently revealed KMT party list, most of the nominees were only rewarded a seat because of political favors. Within the marginal seats, the only powerful faction member is Wong Chung-chun (翁重鈞) from the Chiayi county; and the only nominee who can appeal to voters is perhaps Hsieh Lung-jie (謝龍介), who can recite the Analects in fluent Taiwanese-Hokkien. In other words, the KMT party-list contains only about 10 to 12 safe seats.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/14
By: Kuo Chi-hsuan and Ko Lin

Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) A family of four died and two others were injured in an apartment fire that occurred early Thursday in Neipu Township, Pingtung County.

The county's Bureau of Fire and Emergency Services said it deployed firefighters to the scene after receiving a report at 5:40 a.m. that a three-floor residential unit had caught fire.

The victims were all members of the same family, identified by their surname Lee (李), according to the fire bureau.

The homeowner, 46, along with his 10-year old daughter and elderly parents, were pronounced dead at a local hospital after emergency resuscitation failed to revive them.   [FULL  STORY]

Americans should side with Hong Kong protesters, says former American representative to UN

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/14
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As violence continues to escalate in Hong Kong, former American

representative to the United Nations (U.N.), Nikki Haley on Tuesday (Nov. 12) urged U.S. citizens to stand with Hong Kong's protesters.

According to Liberty Times, Haley appeared on Fox News' "The Daily Briefing" and was interviewed by former White House Spokesperson Dana Perino about Hong Kong's social movement for democracy. Perino asked if the U.S. government and its people should voice their support for the Hong Kong protesters.

Haley said the Chinese government is trying to silence demonstrators with a mask ban, surveillance cameras, and armed forces. She added the fundamental demand behind the Hong Kong protests is simply freedom.    [FULL  STORY]

AT-LARGE CRITICISM: Despite earlier defending the order in which candidates would be given seats, Wu Den-yih said the list would be redone after members’ complaints

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 15, 2019
By: Ann Maxon  /  Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday said that the party is to hold

an extraordinary meeting today to adjust its list of legislator-at-large nominees for the Jan. 11 elections amid criticism over its rankings.

Furthermore, his place on the list would be moved down, Wu said on the sidelines of a ceremony of the Taiwan International Invention Award Winners’ Association in Taipei.

The KMT Central Standing Committee on Wednesday approved a 34-person list of at-large nominees.

Since its release, the list has been widely criticized for placing Wu in 10th place, which would almost certainly guarantee him a seat, as the party is expected to garner enough votes for the first 14 or 15 names.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 13 November, 2019
By: Natalie Tso

A US warship passed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday. The USS Chancellorsville is the ninth US warship to pass through the strait this year. The most recent passage took place on September 20.

At the Legislature on Wednesday, Defense Minister Yen De-fa said the transit was a freedom of navigation voyage. He said that it is also a part of US President Donald Trump’s Indo-Pacific strategy and US efforts to ensure regional peace and security.    [FULL  STORY]