Government arranging to limit flow of migrant workers to reduce coronavirus risk

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/13
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — More than 80,000 migrant workers in Taiwan have been able to stay at their current jobs or obtain other employment in the country as of June this year thanks to government efforts to reduce human flow amid COVID-19.

The Ministry of Labor's Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has moved to reduce cross-border movement, suspend the introduction of foreign labor, and require employers to bolster disease management since the coronavirus outbreak. The measures are in line with the Central Epidemic Command Center in March raising its risk assessment of the coronavirus levels in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand — nations which are major sources of foreign workers for Taiwan.

A total of 82,324 migrant workers have had their contracts extended or been reassigned to other jobs as of June. The cases were recorded after the government introduced incentives encouraging employers to renew contracts for existing workers or recruit others who were already in Taiwan.

By the end of June, 726 employers had applied for a short-term permit — on a three or six months basis — to hire foreign nationals stranded in Taiwan due to the halting of international flights. In addition, 1,685 individuals have applied for three-month employment extensions.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/13/2020
By: William Yen

Taipei, July 13 (CNA) The 31st Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music will be held in the second half of October at the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center in Taipei, the organizers said Monday.

The awards ceremony, which honors the top achievers in traditional arts and music, was originally slated for mid-August and will now be held on Oct. 24, the National Center for Traditional Arts (NCFTA) said in a statement.

The theme of the awards ceremony this year will be to reflect the boundless imagination and vitality of people involved in the performing arts that create magnificent masterpieces even during crisis or turmoil, the NCFTA said.

Yang Hui-ping (楊蕙萍), an NCFTA press officer, said the crisis and turmoil mentioned in the statement referred to the current COVID-19 pandemic.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 14, 2020
By: Chiu Shu-yu and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Premier Su Tseng-chang’s (蘇貞昌) face on Saturday appeared whiter than usual because he used color-correcting cream after mistaking it for sunscreen lotion, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) said on Sunday.

The premier was speaking at a surfing activity, which was held as part of a festival in New Taipei City’s Jinshan District (金山) to promote local tourism, when he drew people’s attention with his uncanny white face.

Su Chiao-hui, who is the premier’s daughter, said that her younger sister buys their parents’ skin products, and Su Tseng-chang grabbed the color-correcting cream when leaving home on Saturday, mistaking it for sunscreen lotion.

Due to a tight schedule, Su Tseng-chang could only apply the cream in the car on the way to the event and could not check his face in the mirror, she said, adding that he inadvertently scared onlookers as he got out of the vehicle.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/11/2020
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) Stargazers will have a chance to see the planet Jupiter at its brightest next Tuesday, when it moves closest to Earth, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said Friday.

The opposition of Jupiter, which occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the largest planet in the solar system, will offer the best view of Jupiter this year, the museum said.

Observation conditions should be ideal days before and after the opposition, according to the museum.

Anyone can easily find Jupiter throughout the night, as it rises at dusk from the southeast and descends at dawn to the southwest, the museum said.    [FULL  STORY]

‘MAKE IT CLEAR’: The US does not want to go to war with China, but it must compete with it and also stand up for human rights and democracy, the US representative said

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 12, 2020
By: Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter

Recognizing Taiwan as an independent country would be the most punitive measure the US could take against Beijing’s aggressiveness, US representative Michael McCaul, the ranking member of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during an interview with Voice of America (VOA).

In a video published by VOA yesterday, McCaul, who is also chairman of the House’s China Task Force, discussed US foreign policy related to Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, as well as the accountability of Beijing and the WHO in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pointing out that some experts have said that Beijing’s national security legislation in Hong Kong might serve as a blueprint for how it deals with Taiwan, VOA’s Lee Yi-hua (李逸華) asked if the US Congress, known to be supportive of Taiwan, would take additional steps on Taiwan and cross-strait security.

The US Congress has approved arms sales, including F-16 jets, to assist with Taiwan’s self-defense, McCaul said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/11
By  Central News Agency

Students in Taiwan are having trouble finding summer jobs in an economy that has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the results of a survey released Friday (July 10).

The "2020 post-pandemic students' summer work intention survey" conducted by Taipei-based 1111 Job Bank found that 82 percent of respondents were planning to work summer jobs to earn pocket money or help pay for school or living expenses.

More than four in five respondents (83.7 percent) said they have struggled to find jobs, and attributed their difficulties to fewer openings available, increased competition for the jobs on offer, and fewer shifts being scheduled by employers, the survey found.

1111 Job Bank spokesperson Vivi Hwang (黃若薇) said students are facing economic pressure before they enter the workplace and having "negative assets," such as student loans, is forcing them to work summer jobs to reduce their economic burdens.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/11/2020
By: Kay Liu

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) The jackpot for the bi-weekly Super Lotto is expected to reach NT$1.62 billion (US$54.94 million) in Monday's draw, a sum built up over five months as nobody has claimed the top prize since mid-February, according to Taiwan Lottery Co.

While three lottery ticket buyers shared the second prize of NT$12.45 million (pre-tax) in the latest draw Thursday, there has not been a top prize winner in the last 43 draws, the company said.

According to the company, it estimated sales of Super Lotto at around NT$500 million before Monday's draw, which should help push the jackpot to about NT$1.62 billion.

The draw will take place at 8:30 p.m. Monday.    [SOURCE]

KEEP COOL: HPA Community Health Division head Lo Su-ying said that the bodies of elderly people and children have more trouble keeping their temperature regulated

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 12, 2020
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) yesterday said that 190 people sought treatment for heat injuries at hospital emergency rooms (ERs) in the first 10 days of this month, and that not all of the injuries occurred outdoors.

Outdoor temperatures have on most days recently reached 35°C, and sometimes topped 37°C, resulting in a rise in heat injuries, it said, citing Central Weather Bureau statistics.

The types of injury are heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, it said.

From July 1 to Friday, there were 190 ER visits for heat injuries, up from 116 visits a year earlier, or about 1.6 times higher, the HPA said, adding that not all of the cases occurred under a scorching sun.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 10 July, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

President Tsai Ing-wen announced on Friday that members of the National Airborne Service Corps will receive a pay raise. The goal of the raise is to help the corps to retain staff.

Beginning in July, pilots working for the corps will receive an additional NT$40,000 (US$1,356) a month. Meanwhile, other corps members will see a bump in their hourly wage. 
[FULL  STORY]

Baushuan’s appointment was part of personnel changes announced by Taiwan’s foreign ministry on Thursday. Tien, who served as Taiwan’s representative to India for more than seven years, is expected to leave for home on Friday.

Hindustan Times
Date: Jul 11, 2020
By: Rezaul H Laskar

Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Taiwan has named senior diplomat Baushuan Ger as its new representative to India while his

predecessor Tien Chung-kwang has been promoted to the post of deputy foreign minister.

Baushuan’s appointment was part of personnel changes announced by Taiwan’s foreign ministry on Thursday. Tien, who served as Taiwan’s representative to India for more than seven years, is expected to leave for home on Friday.

However, Baushuan is expected to take up his post in India in September, people familiar with developments said. He is currently director-general of the department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in Taiwan’s foreign ministry and has served in the US and the UK.

Tien will replace Hsu Szu-chien as deputy foreign minister. Hsu has been appointed as deputy secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council.    [FULL  STORY]