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Overseas Chinese students permitted to apply to stay in Taiwan without letter of consent from parents

Taiwan News  
Date: 2017/12/25
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said in a news release on

(photo from Flickr by homepage.ntu.edu.tw)

Monday that overseas Chinese students in Taiwan without household registration can apply to stay in the country without a letter of consent from their parents, starting from January 1, 2018.

The measure is aimed at reducing the documents required for overseas Chinese students applying to stay in Taiwan.

For their convenience, the same student group can also apply for staying in Taiwan or extending the stay online instead of applying in person, according to another related new measure.
[FULL  STORY]

Takers of canceled TOIEC allowed to retake test

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/25
By: Phoenix Hsu and Frances Huang

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) Takers of the latest examination by the Test of English for International Communications, better known as TOEIC, in Taiwan, which was canceled half way through, will be allowed to take the next test scheduled for January, Taiwan test organizer Chun Shin Ltd. said Monday.

Alternatively, Chun Shin said, registered participants will receive a full refund if they choose not to take the January test.

On Sunday, the latest TOEIC test was canceled when it was found that some of the questions spoken in English in the audio section did not match the content shown on the screen, affecting about 24,000 examinees.

The TOEIC test started with a listening comprehension, according to the organizer
[FULL  STORY]

DPP blasts ‘barbaric’ obstruction of 2018 budget

DELAYED POLICY? If the committees are not done reviewing by the end of the year, the DPP will force second readings without deliberation, the DPP caucus whip said

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 26, 2017
By: Yang Chun-hui, Chen Yu-fu and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) on Sunday accused the opposition of “barbaric” obstruction, adding that failure to approve the general budget before the end of the year would have dire consequences.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been boycotting the general budget for next fiscal year in the six legislative committees which they convene, he said.

As a result, the legislature has little time left to vote on the budget before the session expires, Ker said.

Failure to pass the budget would affect a broad range of government programs, including public employee pay raises, long-term care, military procurement, drug-use prevention, higher-education reform and the purchase of new police uniforms, he said.
[FULL  STORY]

‘Phone detention’ aims to boost students’ focus

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 25, 2017
By: Jonathan Chin  /  Staff writer, with CNA

A business administration professor at National Chung Hsing University, Chiao Yu-ching (喬友慶), is trying a “cellphone detention system” in classes this semester, with the aim of emphasizing to the importance of concentration to his students.

Chiao marked the first day of the policy with a Facebook post, saying: “I believe that in this day and age, concentration is crucial to your ability to make the most of fleeting opportunities.”

“Your learning environment is affected by having temptations everywhere,” he said. “To that end, I want to make the Chung Hsing business administration department a phone-free space.”

Chiao, who also serves as the business administration department chair, set aside 60 lockers in room 203 of the departmental building earlier this month for “phone detention,” the university said, adding that students are asked to deposit their phones in an assigned locker before they attend class, although the policy is not mandatory.    [FULL  STORY]

Congressman want pressure on China over UN visits

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-12-24

Two US congressmen have written to the US ambassador to the United Nations to put pressure on China to stop blocking Taiwanese nationals from visiting the UN headquarters in New York.

Ohio Congressman Steve Chabot and New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith, both Republicans, sent a formal letter to Nikki Haley on Friday. In the letter, they emphasized that Taiwan-US relations are extremely important to the US.

Under current regulations, Taiwanese nationals wishing to visit the UN must present a mainland China travel permit for Taiwanese residents, issued by the Chinese government, as proper identification.    [FULL  STORY]

Flight delays at Incheon International Airport due to foggy conditions 

43 flights affected and forced to land in other airports

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/12/24
By: Mabel Neo, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI(Taiwan News) – Flights at South Korea’s biggest airport- Incheon International

Image courtesy of The Korea Times

Airport have been delayed due to foggy conditions.

According to Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), 43 flights bound for Incheon International Airport were forced to land in other airports in the country due to the thick fog on the western coast. The weather condition has also caused 312 delays and 49 cancellations on Saturday (Dec 23).

According to IIAC, the Aviation Meteorological Office issued a low visibility warning at Incheon International Airport at 1:35 a.m. today and lifted it four hours later.This type of warning is issued when the visibility is under 400 meters.

Visa-free privilege doubles number of Filipino arrivals

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/24
By: Elaine Hou and Shih Hsiu-chuan

Taipei, Dec. 24 (CNA) The visa-free privilege granted by Taiwan to the Philippines has

CNA file photo

doubled the number of visits by Filipinos in November, according to statistic provided by Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (NIA).

Since Taiwan granted the visa-free entry on Nov. 1, the country has received 31,747 visitors from the Philippines, up 107.66 percent compared to the same period last year that saw 15,288 trips made by Filipinos, the NIA said.

About 23.6 percent of the visitors, or 7,500, traveled visa-free with their passports that allowed for a stay of up to 14 days, the NIA said.

For the purpose of tourism alone, the increase was more visible in November when the number of Filipino tourist arrivals grew to 18,679, or a year-on-year growth of about 230 percent, the NIA said.    [FULL  STORY]

INTERVIEW: Cabinet working on stable child support, minister says

In the face of declining fertility rates, the government plans to expand childcare support and encourage people to have more children, as long as it is able to bear the financial cost, Minister Without Portfolio Lin Wan-i said in an interview with ‘Liberty Times’ (sister newspaper of the ‘Taipei Times’) staff reporters Jennifer Huang and Rachel Lin

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 25, 2017
By: Jennifer Huang and Rachel Lin  /  Translated by staff writer Sherry Hsiao

Liberty Times (LT): There were early warnings of the trend toward having fewer children.

Minister Without Portfolio Lin Wan-i speaks at an event in Taipei on Nov. 25.  Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

Has the government reacted too slowly?

Lin Wan-i (林萬億): Taiwan had its highest fertility rate between 1946 and 1964, during the post-war baby boom. During that time, each woman gave birth to an average of five to seven children, as the nation’s agrarian society depended on labor.

However, between 1965 and 1983, Taiwan entered the industrial age and the fertility rate dropped to between 2.1 and 3.8 children per woman. As Taiwan transitioned into a service-based economy, it further dropped to between 1.7 and 2.1 children per woman.

People who were born during the age of high fertility constituted a formidable labor force and created a demographic dividend, but in 2002 the total fertility rate dropped to 1.3 children per woman. It took less than four years for the fertility rate to drop from 1.7 children per woman to 1.3 children per woman — like going down a slide.   [FULL  STORY]

Premier Lai says Tainan rooftops suitable for solar power

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-12-23

Premier William Lai went to visit Tainan on Saturday and said the rooftops there are

Premier Lai in Tainan (CNA)

suitable for solar power. That’s because they are especially hot. He said using them for renewable energy would be much better than other rooftop construction.

Lai went to check on Tainan’s long term care plans, progress in the water environment and solar energy facilities.

By 2024, Lai said Taiwan plans to stop using the first three nuclear power plants and become a nuclear free land by 2025. Taiwan will use 80% thermal power and 20% renewable energy. Solar energy will be an important part of green energy plans.

Lai asked the Tainan City Government to take inventory of what land and facilities were suitable for solar energy development.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei City to expand ban on sale of plastic bags from 2018

Hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores will not be allowed to sell plastic bags

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/12/23
By: Juvina Lai, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — From the beginning of 2018, plastic shopping bags will be

(By Central News Agency)

forbidden from being sold at hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores.

At a news conference on Friday, Lu Shih-chang (盧世昌), the deputy commissioner of Taipei’s Department of Environmental Protection, urged the three types of stores to not provide plastic bags for free or even to keep them available for sale. However, these chain stores will have the right to sell ‘dual purpose bags’ such that can be used as both shopping bag as well as a trash bag.

There are three sizes that will be made available for the dual bags, a 3-liter bag will cost NT$1, a 6-liter bag will cost NT$2, and a 14-liter bag will cost NT$5. The residents of Taipei City will also be allowed to dispose of garbage using these bags when the garbage truck comes around.    [FULL  STORY]