Taipei Times
Date: Apr 06, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Taiwan is to draw on the experience of an ongoing program to upgrade two of its aging submarines to support a project to build its own submarines, an institute contracted to conduct the programs said yesterday.

Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology officials said in a report prepared for a legislative hearing yesterday that the institute has completed an evaluation of periscope upgrades for the two Chien Lung-class submarines and has begun reviewing a design to upgrade their weapons systems.

That experience will help support the Ministry of National Defense’s indigenous submarine project, the report said.

The report said the institute is discussing a design for the weapons systems of the planned homegrown submarines and other issues with shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan — the contractor for the nation’s indigenous submarine and the navy’s submarine programs.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-04

The labor ministry received close to 2,200 appeals from businesses against disciplinary measures for violations last year. It canceled a total of 260 of the punishments.

Labor ministry official Fu Hui-chih said Tuesday that 80% of appeals concern violations in three categories. Those are the Labor Standards Act, Labor Insurance Act and Employment Service Act. Fu said employers tend to claim they were not aware of the regulations.

Fu said, “Those concerned are mostly small and medium businesses. They claim that they did not know about the regulations, or that they are a family business and most of the employees are relatives, in other words, ‘If he comes, he comes. If he doesn’t show up, he doesn’t. It’s very free.’ They do not feel the need to enforce the regulations, which, however, are required by law. So county and city governments explain disciplinary measures more clearly to employers when they hand them down.”
[FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 5, 2017
By: Kuan-lin Liu

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Financial Supervisory Commission stated it had received no reports of North Korean cyberattacks on any local financial institutions, after a CNN story Tuesday suggested Pyongyang was targeting Taiwanese banks.

The commission, Taiwan’s financial regulator, said all local banks had been on “high alert” regarding cybersecurity breaches following an NT$80 million heist of First Commercial Bank ATMs last year.

The North Korean hacking operation, code-named “Lazarus,” had reportedly previously attacked financial institutions in Bangladesh, Ecuador, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

In response to these claims, an anonymous source working in Taiwan’s finance industry said that the country’s financial security was “far superior to that seen in the Philippines or in Vietnam.”    [FULL  STORY]

WHO PAYS?If seat belts on buses were enforced, passengers would be notified by the bus driver and failure to comply should rest with the passenger, the DGH said

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 05, 2017
By: Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

Ministry of Transportation and Communications officials are scheduled to meet this month to discuss the possibility of making wearing seat belts mandatory on large buses.

The issue resurfaced in public discussions last month after a tour bus accident on the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway (National Freeway No. 5) in February killed 33 people and injured 11.

Prosecutors said in the first phase of the investigation that the accident was caused by excessive speed. The bus was traveling at 84kph in a 50kph zone.

Regulations stipulate that bus drivers and passengers in certain seats are required to wear seat belts, including passengers sitting next to the driver, in the row of seats next to the bus’ back door and the middle seat in the back row.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-03

With the fishing season beginning in April, Taiwan’s foreign ministry is warning fishermen about entering contiguous zones claimed by the Philippines.

Taiwan sees these zones as part of its economic waters but the Philippines maintains that the contiguous zones fall under their law enforcement jurisdiction.

Foreign ministry official Chen Wen-yi explains,“Before the two sides come to a consensus on law enforcement in the Philippines’ contiguous zones, there is still risk involved if our fishermen enter those areas.”

The foreign ministry said that it has instructed the relevant authorities to inform fishermen of the situation. It has also asked the Coast Guard to protect fishermen and their rights.    [FULL  STORY]