Page Three

‘Pangolin’ short film wins the Eco-Oscars

The plight of the pangolin 

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/10
By: Renée Salmonsen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Pangolin won the award for best short film at the Wildlife Film Festival this year, a victory for aesthetics and awareness. 

The short film follows the journey of a pangolin who is snatched from his natural habitat and traded. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, particularly throughout Asia and Africa.The pangolin can also be found  throughout Taiwan.

PANGOLIN trailer from Coral & Oak Studios on Vimeo.

The keratin in pangolin scales are used in traditional medicine and their meat is seen as a delicacy. Unfortunately, over hunting and poaching has brought about the present plight of the animals.     [FULL  STORY]

Muslim prayer rooms opened at Alishan forest park

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/10
By: Chiang Chun-liang and Isabel Wang

Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) The Alishan National Forest Recreation Area opened its first

Photo courtesy of Chiayi Forest District Office

prayer rooms for Muslim visitors to the mountain resort area in Chiayi County on Friday.

Two prayer rooms were opened in the recreation area — one in the tourist center and the other at the main Alishan transportation station — the Chiayi Forest District Office under the Forestry Bureau said in a statement.

Not only are they the first Muslim prayer rooms at a national forest recreation area in Taiwan, they are also the country’s highest prayer rooms above sea level, the office said.

The Alishan National Forest Recreation Area is situated at about 1,400 meters above sea level.    [FULL  STORY]

Labor Law Amendments: Cabinet’s passage of bill defies transparency: KMT

‘MAGNET OF CONTROVERSY’:Hung called on Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan to stop the legislature from endorsing a bill that infringed upon procedural justice

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 11, 2017
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said the Executive Yuan’s hasty passage of a draft amendment to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) on Thursday runs counter to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration’s pledge to build an “open and transparent government.”

In an effort to ensure openness and transparency in government, the DPP administration issued a regulation in September last year stipulating that draft legislation drawn up by government agencies need to be made available to the public for at least 60 days for review and the gathering of opinions, KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said.

“Despite the pledge, the draft amendment to the Labor Standards Act was passed by the Executive Yuan only eight days after it was released for public review. This is clearly a violation of the 60-day rule and a black box operation,” Hung told a news conference at the KMT’s headquarters in Taipei.

The amendment is the only one of 66 bills passed this year that failed to comply with the 60-day requirement, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

Premier insists employees want flexible work-hour system

The China Post
Date: November 10, 2017
By: Shih Hsiu-chua

TAIPEI (CNA) – Taiwan’s Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Thursday insisted workers

Premier Lai Ching-te, third right, responds to questions at a press conference on Nov. 9, 2017. The premier on Thursday insisted workers also wanted a flexible work-hour system as labor rights groups criticized his Cabinet’s approval of amendments to a law that had restricted how much businesses can ask their employees to work, to allow companies flexible use of work hours. (CNA)

also wanted a flexible work-hour system as labor rights groups criticized his Cabinet’s approval of amendments to a law that had restricted how much businesses can ask their employees to work, to allow companies flexible use of work hours.

The Cabinet was responding to the business leaders’ demands by approving the amendments on Thursday but labor rights groups say the law, if amended, would be a “draconian law.” To deliver on President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) campaign promises to ensure two paid days off per week and to shorten Taiwanese workers’ annual hours worked, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government pushed through reforms to the Labor Standard Act in November last year.

Under the reforms, which took effect Jan. 1, employees must get two days off per week – one mandatory day off and the other “flexible rest day.” The latter means that employees can opt to work if employers ask them to.    [FULL  STORY]

Xi: Taiwan most sensitive issue in China-US ties

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-09

The Presidential Office said Thursday that it looks forward to see US President Donald

Mainland Affairs Council’s spokesperson Chiu Chui-cheng said that the US adherence to the Taiwan Relations Act, the Six Assurances and support for the development of cross-strait ties are Washington’s promises to Taiwan. (CNA photo)

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping actively develop regional stability, peace and prosperity. The office was commenting on the meeting between Trump and Xi during Trump’s first visit to China as president.

Meanwhile, Mainland Affairs Council’s spokesperson Chiu Chui-cheng said that the US adherence to the Taiwan Relations Act, the Six Assurances and support for the development of cross-strait ties are Washington’s promises to Taiwan. Chiu said Taiwan welcomes the enhancement of exchanges between the US and Taiwan. He said the government will continue to watch the situation in the Asia-Pacific region and strengthen regional cooperation.

Earlier on Thursday, Xi Jinping told Trump that Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in China-US relations. That’s according to a report from Reuters taken from China’s state news agency Xinhua.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan EPA Minister addresses the world in article on climate change

Minister Lee Ying-yuan discusses Taiwan’s green policy, calls for global cooperation

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/09
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Minister of the Environmental Protection

Taiwan’s EPA Minister Lee Ying-yuan (By Central News Agency)

Administration (EPA) Lee Ying-yuan published an article in the Washington DC based publication, The Hill on Nov. 8.

The EPA Minister brings attention to the threat the world is facing from climate change, and also highlights the efforts and policies of Taiwan to combat the problem.

The Minister’s op-ed piece asserts that Taiwan’s recent experience of extreme weather conditions has made climate change a clear reality for the people of Taiwan. The Minister then outlined Taiwan’s recent environmental policies, and his administration’s resolve to create a green and sustainable future for Taiwan.

The piece mentions Taiwan’s Climate Change Action Guidelines and the related Greenhouse Gas Reduction Action Plan. The plans aim to promote cooperation between government agencies, to better regulate emissions across six major areas of society; energy, manufacturing, transportation, residential and commercial property, agriculture, and the environment.    [FULL  STORY]

Gender discrimination worse than expected in tech industry: survey

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/09
By: Jiang Ming-yan and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) A global survey by the international online hotel booking website,

CNA file photo

Booking.com, has found that 90 percent of the women in the tech industry who responded think there are too few female role models and leaders in the male-dominated sector, and many of them think gender discrimination there was worse than expected.

The results of the survey carried out by the travel company were published Thursday. They highlighted the lack of women in leadership positions in the tech industry worldwide and how it was a key reason behind the gender barrier for entry.

The respondents — roughly 700 women working in the tech sector but in non-tech positions — said that more women in positions of power would encourage entry-level female employees to climb up the corporate ladder in the industry, according to the company’s report on the results.

The lack of women in charge was seen as contributing to the industry being heavily male dominated, according to the report.    [FULL  STORY]

Cross-strait war not inevitable: US academic

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 10, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Despite China’s military buildup, a war between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait could be prevented if the US helped beef up Taiwan’s defense capabilities, a visiting US academic said yesterday.

China’s “People’s Liberation Army [PLA] is thinking very hard of this mission, which is their principal one,” US think tank Project 2049 Institute analyst Ian Easton said at a forum in Taipei.

It is therefore important that Americans and Taiwanese see China’s growing military prowess as a serious threat and realize that there is no easy solution, he said.

There is no way to change Beijing’s desire to invade Taiwan, especially since Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) came to power, Easton said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Security Act introduced in U.S. House of Representatives

The China Post
Date: November 9, 2017
By: Rita Cheng and Y.F. Low

WASHINGTON (CNA) – Two Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Rep. Michael McCaul, left, and Robert Pittenger, initiated a legislation, on Wednesday introduced the Taiwan Security Act to enhance military cooperation and exchanges between the United States and Taiwan. The legislation echoed a bill introduced in the Senate in July by Republican Senator Tom Cotton. (CNA/Courtesy of U.S. House of Representatives)

on Wednesday introduced the Taiwan Security Act to enhance military cooperation and exchanges between the United States and Taiwan.

The legislation, initiated by Rep. Michael McCaul and Robert Pittenger, echoed a bill introduced in the Senate in July by Republican Senator Tom Cotton.

According to a statement released by McCaul, the bill mandates senior defense and diplomatic exchanges at the flag officer and assistant secretary level or above and reestablishes an annual strategic dialogue on arms sales in order to ensure the regular transfer of defense articles.

It also directs the U.S. Secretary of Defense to invite Taiwanese forces to participate in the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercise and the 2018 edition of the Red Flag air-to-air combat exercise.    [FULL  STORY]

Premier addresses electricity shortage in press conference

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-08

Premier William Lai says the government has three strategies in place to deal with a

(CNA)

shortage of electricity in Taiwan.

A lack of power is one of five shortages the government says is holding back Taiwan’s economy. Energy is a particular issue as the government works to phase out the use of nuclear power in Taiwan. At a press conference Wednesday, Lai said the government will invest NT$900 billion (US$30 billion) to address the power shortage.

Lai said the government’s first strategy requires regular maintenance and repairs to power generators and completion of new generators on schedule.

The second strategy involves expanding the use of renewable energy. The government’s goal is to generate 20% of Taiwan’s energy from renewable sources by 2025. The government aims to generate 3 million kilowatts of power from rooftop solar panels by 2025. Lai said the government’s third strategy involves saving energy and smart and flexible storage.    [FULL  STORY]