The China Post
Date: July 24, 2016
By: Christine Chou

TAIPEI, Taiwan — An animal welfare organization has warned stray dogs and cats may suffer a

fate far worse than painless death, after a zero euthanasia policy takes effect next February — a policy it claims was rushed and poorly thought through.

Tiger Tung (董冠富), founder and chairman of the Taiwan Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organization (LCO, 台灣照顧生命協會), urged President Tsai Ing-wen to integrate resources to prevent less fortunate dogs and cats that are not accepted by public shelters from dying in miserable conditions — either in the street or in illegal private sanctuaries.

The government needs to loosen legal conditions for privately owned shelters, or else even remaining solutions will disappear, said Tung.

“When no-kill animal shelters are filled to capacity, animals are kept in severely crowded, often unbearable cages,” remarked Tung. “They die at faster rates due to starvation, poor living conditions or attacks from other dogs.”

The so-called zero euthanasia policy was passed by the Legislative Yuan at the beginning of last year, following the release of the documentary “Twelve Nights” (十二夜) — the film stirred outrage in society at the plight of public shelter animals.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/07/22
By: Huang Kuo-fang and Lilian Wu

Taipei, July 22 (CNA) The National Immigration Agency (NIA) has turned over a Taiwanese woman to the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office for the alleged abuse of a Vietnamese worker.

Agency officials stationed in Chiayi said Friday that during a check on tea farm workers in Shihjhuo District in Chiayi in April, they found the Vietnamese worker in hiding and then listened to her story.

According to the worker, whose name was not given, she came to Taiwan to work at a nursing center in Pingtung County in July 2013 to serve as a caregiver.

She was assigned a graveyard shift and made responsible for taking care of more than 30 senior citizens singlehandedly.     [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2016/07/22
By: Chang Shin-wei

The Chinese side accuses President Tsai of officially denying for the first time the existence of the ‘1992 consensus.’ Taipei denies she did such a thing.

A Washington Post interview with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) published this week has predictably drawn criticism from Beijing, which claims that Tsai’s remarks were the first time she had officially denied the existence of the so-called 1992 consensus, a construct that China maintains is a prerequisite for communication between the two sides.
At the heart of Beijing’s bluster today was the following exchange in the interview:

Washington Post: Some academics say Xi has a certain deadline by which he wants you to agree to the ’92 consensus. Is that right?
Tsai: It isn’t likely that the government of Taiwan will accept a deadline for conditions that are against the will of the people.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-07-22
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Legislative Yuan failed to make any progress Friday on a law dealing with ill-gotten party assets, despite the calling of a special session lasting until July 29.

The Kuomintang has accused the government and the backers of the bill of specifically targeting the opposition, while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party said the law was an absolute necessity, considering the issue of assets acquired by the KMT in the wake of the Japanese occupation has dogged Taiwanese politics ever since.

As a result of Friday’s deadlock, lawmakers will have to vote on proposals and amendments beginning Monday July 25 in what could turn out to be a record marathon session, reports said. The current special legislative sessions lasts until July 29.     [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: July 23, 2016
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced yesterday that a

meeting took place between Merck Executive Board Chairman and CEO Stefan Oschmann and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during his recent visit to the Island, according to a press release from the company.

Oschmann briefed President Tsai on the importance of the Taiwanese market to Merck and the company’s intention to continually invest by bringing in the most advanced technologies for local customers and to provide innovative treatments for the patients.

Oschmann stated, “Taiwan presents a very important market for Merck. We’ve been doing business here for 27 years. This is a particularly attractive market for us, due to the highly skilled workforce and innovative industries. Taiwan companies are highly entrepreneurial and open to collaboration, and we form strategic partnerships. At the time, we benefit from the excellent protection of intellectual property rights here.”     [FULL  STORY]